Revisiting the Gold Standard: Supera Stent Performance in Common Femoral Artery Lesions, Medium-to Long-Term Results

Background

Traditionally, disease of the common femoral artery (CFA) has been treated with open endarterectomy. However, advances in endovascular techniques—particularly with the Supera stent (Abbott Vascular Inc. CA, USA), a flexible, fracture-resistant nitinol device—offer a less invasive alternative.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 33 patients treated with Supera stenting for symptomatic CFA disease at 3 institutions between January 2021 and June 2023. Patient characteristics, procedural details, and clinical outcomes were reviewed. Primary endpoints included stent patency at 1, 2, and 3 years; need for reintervention, amputation, or mortality.

Results

Most patients (88%) presented with intermittent claudication; the remainder had critical limb ischemia. Stent deployment was successful in all patients; most procedures were performed via a crossover approach. At 1, 2, and 3 years, primary patency rates were 88%, 83%, and 79%, respectively. Accounting for successful interventions in cases of restenosis, primary-assisted patency reached 100% at 3 years among patients with full follow-up. No amputations or device failures were observed.

Conclusion

Supera stenting appears to be a safe, effective alternative to open surgery for CFA disease. While open surgery remains the gold standard, we believe Supera stenting should be considered more routinely, especially in patients at increased surgical risk, pending further evidence from ongoing randomized trials.