[Simpson's atherectomy of the peripheral arteries: early results and follow-up]. / Simpson-Atherektomie peripherer Arterien--Frühergebnisse und Nachkontrollen.

ABSTRACT

Over a seventeen-month period, a percutaneous transluminal removal of stenosing plaque material from leg and pelvic arteries was performed successfully and without complication in 43 patients. A complete atherectomy in the femoropopliteal vessels succeeded in 99% of cases. In the pelvic region, the primary results were much lower (58%). After six months, the angiographically checked restenosis rate was 17% for femoropopliteal vessels and 11% for iliac arteries, and the corresponding Kaplan-Meier cumulative patency rates were 73.8 and 78.7% respectively. Simpson's atherectomy is the only method of its kind that is therapeutically effective and diagnostically significant, since the removed plaque can be used for further tests.