The high freedom from >50% restenosis and low fracture rate at 12 months suggests that the PROTEGE EverFlex stent offers a safe and acceptably efficacious means of treating SFA lesions in symptomatic subjects with PAD.

Percutaneous transluminal stent-angioplasty of the carotid artery has indications that are similar but not identical to those for carotid surgery. Certain clinical conditions and morphologic findings, such as myocardial infarction, occlusion of the contralateral carotid artery, or tandem stenoses, favor use of the endoluminal technique. On the other hand, large clots at the site of stenosis, heavily calcified plaques, or elongated, kinked carotid arteries are better suited for carotid endarterectomy. Our experiences with angioplasty of more than 800 carotid stenoses and reports of other groups dealing with carotid angioplasty permit a preliminary evaluation of the method. The technical success rates, complication rates, and the few known long-term results are more or less equal to those of vascular surgery. Therefore further prospectively randomized studies are necessary to determine from which procedure the patient with his or her individual condition can gain the highest benefit.

No abstract