IVUS Improves Outcomes with SUPERA Stents for the Treatment of Superficial Femoral-popliteal Artery Disease

Objectives: To determine the effect of intravenous ultrasound (IVUS) when used adjunctively with nitinol interwoven bare metal stents in the management of femoropopliteal lesions. Background: Nitinol interwoven bare metal stents represent an advancement in stent technology; however nominal deployment remains an area of focus. Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) has been shown to improve outcomes in both the coronary and peripheral vasculature by providing the operator with greater vessel detail. The use of adjunctive IVUS with Nitinol bare metal stents has not been widely studied. Methods: This study included a cohort of 200 consecutive patients with peripheral artery disease. All patients were treated with [≥]1 Supera bare metal stent, and 91 received adjunctive IVUS imaging prior to stent deployment. Deployment conditions of nominal, compressed, and elongated were measured and the primary clinical outcomes included target lesion reintervention, major and minor, below the knee amputation, and mortality. Results: The patients who received IVUS had a significantly greater number of nominally deployed stents (p<0.001). Patients who had IVUS imaging also had significantly lower reintervention rates compared to those who did not receive IVUS imaging (p=0.047). Conclusion: IVUS and angiography decreases clinically driven target lesion reintervention and increases nominal deployment compared to angiography alone in femoropopliteal lesions treated with interwoven bare metal nitinol stents.