Intravascular Ultrasound Assessment of Iliac Stent Procedures

Abstract

Purpose: To determine whether intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is more sensitive in identifying incomplete stent deployment or mechanical disruption compared to angiography. Methods: Over a 9-month period, 44 patients (25 men; mean age 63 years, range 36–88) treated for common or external iliac artery stenoses with balloon angioplasty and stenting underwent IVUS interrogation following completion arteriography. Results: One hundred nine stents were deployed in the 44 patients. Of these, 29 (27%) stents (in 45% of patients) were found by IVUS to be incompletely deployed or to have an associated mechanical disruption despite a normal completion arteriogram. Further treatment (repeat dilation or additional stenting) was performed in 28 cases; 1 hemodynamically insignificant dissection was not treated. Twenty-six (93%) of these interventions were successful as determined by IVUS; 2 underexpanded stents did not respond to redilation. Conclusions: Incomplete stent deployment or mechanical problems associated with stenting were common in this study, occurring in nearly half of the patients. IVUS has clinical utility in identifying incomplete deployment or mechanical problems in stents with an increased sensitivity compared to contrast angiography.