Aortic valved stents can be successfully implanted without thoracotomy by using a transluminal catheter technique. Long-term function of the valves remains to be established.

The balloon-expandable vascular prosthesis consists of a flexible, knitted tantalum wire mesh tube. To demonstrate its pliability, this prosthesis was tested experimentally in 10 mongrel dogs by implanting it into the proximal femoral arteries. The maximum follow-up time was 1 year. On the basis of the experimental results, in which there was no relevant stenosis, occlusion, or migration of the vascular prosthesis, nine patients were treated: one with iliac artery occlusive disease and eight with superficial femoral artery (SFA) occlusive disease (four reocclusions after angioplasty and four unsatisfactory primary angioplasty results). One SFA lesion was treated with the crossover method from the contralateral side. All implants remained patent without hemodynamically significant stenoses, with the longest observation time being 6 months. Flexible, expandable vascular prostheses are promising adjuncts to angioplasty.