Outcomes of stents covering the deep femoral artery origin

Aims: To investigate the impact of coverage of the deep femoral artery (DFA) by stents during endovascular treatment of proximal superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions involving its ostium on the patency of both femoral arteries.

Methods and results: We retrospectively analysed 171 limbs of 143 patients who had been treated with femoral bifurcation stenting. According to the stenting strategies, 101 limbs with DFA coverage (group 1) and 70 limbs without DFA coverage (group 2) were compared. SFA and DFA patency was assessed by intra-arterial or computed tomography angiography or duplex ultrasound. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups, except for stent diameter. Flow limitations in DFAs were observed in 13 limbs divided similarly between the groups (8.9% vs. 5.7%, p=0.320). During a median follow-up of 18 months, there was a trend towards higher SFA patency at one and three years in group 1 (83% and 63% vs. 75% and 50%, p=0.124). DFA patency at one and three years was not different between groups (88% and 77% vs. 83% and 71%, p=0.488).

Conclusions: Jailing of the DFA origin by SFA ostial stenting did not result in a significant increase in the acute or later loss of patency in either femoral artery.