Trans-Atlantic Society Consensus Research Articles

Outcomes of Surgical Revascularization in Trans-Atlantic Society Consensus (TASC II) Type C & D Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease

Introduction: Aortoiliac occlusive disease is a disabling illness. This study was conducted on the patients of Trans-Atlantic Society Consensus (TASC II) type C & D aortoiliac occlusive disease. Open surgical revascularization in the form of aortofemoral and aorto-bifemoral bypass grafting was done and the demography of patients of AIOD, the efficacy and outcomes of open surgical bypass in the patients of TASC II, type C & D aortoiliac occlusive disease was studied. Methods: in this study, total of 52 patients were revascularized and were observed for various parameters thoroughly throughout the course of diagnosis, preoperative, intra-operative and postoperative phase and until 6 months of follow-up. The demographics, clinical characteristics of the patients, co-morbid conditions, type of aorto-iliac occlusive disease (AIOD), the surgical procedure conducted and the outcomes of surgery in terms of limb salvageability, healing of ulcer, relief of claudication and graft patency were observed. Results: 50 (96.16%) out of 52 patients were males, with a mean age of presentation 55.01 + 8.58 years. 47 (90.38%) were smokers, 43 (82.69%) had hypertension, 17 (32.69%) had diabetes, 11 (21.15%) had CAD, 12 (23.07%) had COPD, 22 (42.30%) had type C and 30 (57.69%) patients had type D disease. Aorto-bifemoral bypass grafting was done in 42 (80.76%) . Mean duration of ICU stay was 1.9 days, 6 (11.53%) patients expired postoperatively. The graft patency and limb salvageability were 100% and 96.15% respectively during 1st, 3rd and 6th months of follow-up with complete healing of ulcers in 21 (91.30%) patients by the end of 6 months. Conclusion: Surgical revascularization is an important, high yielding, life changing intervention which serves as a boon for the patients with extensive or advanced aortoiliac disease. The surgery has excellent outcomes in terms of graft patency as well as limb salvageability.

Outcomes of Infrapopliteal Angioplasty in Advanced Diabetic Ischemic Foot Ulcers

Aims: Diabetic patients in India present late in advanced stages of tissue loss and isolated occlusive infrapopliteal disease. We aim to determine the outcomes of angioplasty in these patients with SINBAD score >3 and infrapopliteal disease presenting with critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) and tissue loss. Materials and Methods: A prospective, observational, single-center study was carried out of diabetic patients with infrapopliteal occlusive disease who underwent angioplasty for CLTI and tissue loss. Transatlantic society consensus (TASC) - classification was used for staging. Ischemia and Peripheral Artery Calcium Scoring was used to assess peripheral calcium. The patients were followed up till their ulcer healed and then every six months. Results: A total of 73 diabetic patients underwent angioplasty for CLTI. 21.8% (16/73) all-cause mortality was seen during the study. The average age was 68.9 years with 78.9% males. The average time to presentation was 55 days. 61.3% of patients had TASC C or D lesions. Technical success was achieved in 94.5% of patients. 27.4% of patients underwent angioplasty of multiple tibial vessels. The mean duration of follow-up was 2 years. 62.5% of patients had their ulcers completely heal in 6 months. Six patients went on to have major amputation. The amputation-free period was 500 days in this patient group. Ulcer healing was found to be dependent on successful revascularization. Conclusion: Mortality is seen in 1 in 10 and morbidity in 1 in 5 patients. It is difficult to accurately prognosticate healing in these patients. Successful revascularization is the only factor affecting healing in these patients.

A Novel Angiographic Risk Score for Femoropopliteal Interventions

Purpose To present a novel angiographic scoring system that stratifies the risk of restenosis after endovascular therapy (EVT) to inform the decision to use paclitaxel-eluting devices in the femoropopliteal segment. Materials and Methods A prospective, multicenter registry including 1799 limbs of 1578 patients (mean age 74±9 years; 1090 men) with symptomatic peripheral artery disease undergoing intravascular ultrasound–supported femoropopliteal EVT was used as the basis for developing the angiographic score. Multivariable analysis identified baseline patient and limb characteristics associated with restenosis at 12 months. These risk factors for 12-month restenosis were explored using a generalized linear mixed model with a logit-link function in which the inter-institutional and inter-subject variability were treated as random effects. The multiple imputation method was adopted to address missing data. Results of the regression analysis are presented as the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Twelve-month primary patency was estimated to be 65.1% (95% CI 62.7% to 67.5%). After multivariable analysis, distal reference vessel diameter per 1 mm (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.81, p<0.001), lesion length per 10 cm (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.62, p<0.001), and chronic total occlusion (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.10, p=0.004) were independently associated with the 12-month restenosis risk, whereas baseline patient risk factors were not. Compared to bare nitinol stent implantation, plain angioplasty (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.67 to 3.18, p<0.001) was independently associated with a higher risk of 12-month restenosis, while drug-eluting stents (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.99, p=0.045) and stent-grafts (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.50, p<0.001) were independently associated with a lower risk of 12-month restenosis. The angiographic score, which was developed by using the 3 angiographic factors but not the TransAtlantic Society Consensus II (TASC) class, was significantly and independently associated with 12-month restenosis. Conclusion The current study demonstrated a novel angiographic score for 12-month restenosis after femoropopliteal EVT in a real-world clinical practice. The developed score was significantly and independently associated with the 12-month restenosis risk, but the TASC class was not.

The mid-term and long-term results of endovascular treatment of C/D aorto-iliac artery occlusive disease

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the endovascular treatment for Trans-Atlantic Society Consensus (TASC) C/D aorto-iliac artery occlusive disease in mid-term and long-term follow-up. Methods: A total of 172 patients diagnosed with TASC C/D aorto-iliac lesions who received endovascular treatment from Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2008 to January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The cohort was separated into covered stent group (61 cases), bare stent group (88 cases) and composite stent group (23 cases). Primary endpoint was primary patency, and secondary endpoints were freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate, major amputation rate and all cause death rate. Results: There were no significant difference of peri-operational all cause death rate and complication rate among all the groups(all P>0.05). Kaplan-Meier was used to analyze the primary patency at 5 year, which were 82.1%, 78.3% and 71.9% in covered stent group, bare stent group and composite stent group (χ(2)=3.47, P>0.05) , and primary patency at 10 year were 68.7%, 52.6% and 58.1%, respectively (χ(2)=18.91, P<0.05) . Freedom from TLR at 5 year were 88.5%, 82.6% and 78.1% in covered stent group, bare stent group and composite stent group (χ(2)=2.93, P>0.05) , and freedom from TLR at 10 year were 74.1%, 70.6% and 65.9%, respectively (χ(2)=6.16, P>0.05) . Diabetes, smoking, TASC D lesions and bare stent were identified as predictors of restenosis by logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: These results suggest that endovacular treatment is safe and effective to complex TASC C/D aorto-iliac artery occlusive disease in mid-term and long-term follow-up. The application of covered stent might further improve the long-term patency.

Comparison of Atherectomy to Balloon Angioplasty and Stenting for Isolated Femoropopliteal Revascularization

The use of atherectomy for lower extremity revascularization is increasing despite concerning reports about its long-term safety and effectiveness. This study compares the outcomes of atherectomy to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stenting for treatment of isolated femoropopliteal disease. All patients undergoing endovascular treatment of isolated femoropopliteal lesions in the Vascular Quality Initiative (2009-2018) were identified. Patients with concomitant open surgery, acute limb ischemia, or iliac or tibial intervention were excluded. Patients were divided into 3 treatment groups: atherectomy with or without PTA, PTA alone, and stenting alone. Propensity matching was performed based on age, gender, race, ambulatory status, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, dialysis, prior inflow bypass and intervention, prior major ipsilateral amputation, indication, length of treated lesion, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, and Trans-Atlantic Society Consensus II classification. The perioperative and one-year outcomes of the matched groups were compared. A total of 10,007 cases of atherectomy, 22,000 cases of PTA, and 27,579 cases of stenting of isolated femoropopliteal disease were identified. After matching, there were 6,372 procedures in atherectomy and PTA groups, respectively. Atherectomy was associated with higher likelihood of technical success (98.3% vs. 97.5%; P<0.001) and shorter length of stay (1.8±8.2days vs. 2.7±15.7days; P<0.001), but had increased rate of distal embolization (2% vs. 1.1%; P<0.001) compared with PTA. At one year, atherectomy was associated with improved primary patency (84.2% vs. 82%; P=0.047) and survival rate (91.1% vs. 90%; P=0.044), but was also associated with a higher reintervention rate (15.7% vs 13.6%; P=0.033) compared with PTA. There was no difference in the rates of major amputation, ambulatory status improvement, or ankle brachial index (ABI) improvement. In the second analysis, after matching, there were 6,877 procedures in the atherectomy and stenting groups, respectively. Atherectomy was associated with lower rate of dissection (3.7% vs. 8.2%<0.001), lower rate of perforation (0.6% vs. 1.2%; P<0.001), and a shorter length of stay (1.9±8.1 vs. 2.9±9.8days; P<0.001) than stenting. However, patients treated with atherectomy had a lower rate of technical success (98.3% vs. 99.2%; P<0.001) and a higher rate of distal embolization (2% vs. 1.2%; P<0.001) than stenting. At one year, atherectomy was associated with a higher rate of major ipsilateral amputation (5.3% vs. 4.1%; P=0.046) and less improvement in ABI (0.19±0.42 vs. 0.25±0.4; P<0.001) than stenting. There was no difference in rates of primary patency, survival, reintervention, and ambulatory status improvement at one year. Atherectomy does not seem to confer any significant additional clinical benefit compared with balloon angioplasty or stenting. Further research is needed to justify its additional cost over other endovascular modalities.

Short term outcome of retrograde tibiopedal access in management popliteal and infrapopliteal disease

Background: Aim was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of retrograde tibiopedal access after failed antegrade recanalization in patients with femero-popliteal and infrapopliteal occlusions.Methods: This is a retrospective study including patients presenting with critical limb ischemia due to femero-popliteal and infrapopliteal occlusions for whom retrograde transpedal/tibial access was used after failure of antegrade approach at the vascular surgery unit in Kasr Al Aini hospitals in the period from June 2015 to June 2017.Results: The study included 18 patients with a mean age of 64 years and male to female ratio 2.6:1. All patients presented with CLI (Rutherford category 4-6), all lesions were Trans Atlantic Society Consensus (TASC) II D, and Technical success was accomplished in 17 cases (94.4 %). In one case, failure to cross the target lesion via both antegrade and retrograde accesses occurred and the patient was immediately converted to an open surgery (popliteal tibial bypass). Complications included 2 puncture site hematoma that were managed conservatively; no AVF. There was no perioperative mortality. Primary patency was 81.25 % at 6 month.Conclusions: retrograde tibiopedal access is safe and effective technique after failed antegrade recanalization in patients with popliteal and infrapopliteal occlusions.

A Multicenter Survey of Endovascular Theatre Equipment and Radiation Exposure in France during Iliac Procedures

The aim of this study is to evaluate radiation exposure, endovascular theatre equipment, and practices in France during iliac angioplasty. A prospective observational study was performed among vascular surgeons who attended a half day of radiation safety training in 2012 and 2015 and had to collect data on 3 patients undergoing iliac procedure. In 2012, 330 surgeons performed 899 procedures, compared with 114 surgeons and 338 procedures in 2015. Due to exclusions, 653 and 306 procedures were analyzed in 2012 and 2015, respectively. Endovascular environment, practices, anatomical characteristics, and radiation parameters were collected, analyzed, and compared generally and between the 2 groups. Endovascular theatre equipment significantly improved over the 3years: mobile flat-panel detector (1.1% vs. 5.9%), hybrid rooms (1.5% vs. 14.7%), and dedicated radiology tables (37.2% vs. 51.2%). Lesion's classification (Trans-Atlantic Society Consensus) was similar between groups but procedure complexity increased overtime: more than one stent implanted (32.3% vs. 41%, P<0.01), cross over (11.5% vs. 16%, P<0.05), and kissing procedures (19.3% vs. 24.2%, P=0.05). The mean dose area product (DAP) was 14.2±18.9Gy cm2 in 2012 and 21.5±37.6Gy cm2 in 2015 (P<0.01), and the mean fluoroscopy time was 4.8±5.5min and 5.2±5.9min, respectively (nonsignificant). Overall, hybrid rooms, body mass index over 25kg/m2, more than one stent implanted, and crossover technique were associated with a significantly higher DAP. Over 3years, a large population of vascular surgeons improved radiation safety knowledge, operative environment, and technical complexity. However, these changes have led to an increased DAP in 2015, which underline the outmost importance of low dose settings and application of ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principles in every day practice.

Rehabilitation program in patients with moderate-to-severe intermittent claudication: immediate results and one year follow-up

Physical training is believed the primary treatment of claudication symptoms. Although exercise therapy is self-effective, some drugs improving functional capacity have additive effects. TASC (Trans Atlantic Society Consensus) considers Propionil-L-Carnitine (PLC) and prostaglandin-E1 (PGE1) as poorly studied drugs with potential benefits in improving claudication. This retrospective, observational study was performed to compare the efficacy of PGE1 and PLC, and to evaluate both the immediate results of an intensive, short-course rehabilitation program and the outcome at one year follow-up. Twenty-five patients with severe-moderate claudication were selected. All patients were subjected to an intensive, supervised exercise program for 4 weeks in combination with either PGE1 (10 patients) or PLC (15 patients). Drugs were infused i.v. before every exercise session: 60 microg PGE1 within 2 hours and 600 mg PLC within 10 minutes. Patients were trained with the same supervised tread-mill walking-exercise program. At the end of the rehabilitation period, patients were instructed to keep walking (advised home exercise). Initial claudication distance (ICD) and absolute claudication distance (ACD) were evaluated during a constant treadmill test (3 km/hour speed, 10% grade) at entry, after 4 weeks and at one year follow-up. A patient was considered as no-responder if his/her improvement in ACD was <33%. A significant increase of both ICD and ACD was detected after both 4 weeks (+269% and +135%, respectively, in PGE1 group; +245% and +125%, respectively, in PLC group) and one year (+364% and +202%, respectively, in PGE1 group; +279% and +176%, respectively, in PLC group). No-responder patients after the intensive training period (2 in PGE1 group and 4 in PLC group) remained no-responders also at one year follow-up. Both PGE1 and PLC treatments were well tolerated. No serious drug-related side effect requiring interruption of the treatment was observed. A short-course of intensive exercise treatment plus PLC or PGE1 may enhance walking ability. The result was confirmed at one year follow-up.

Evaluation of Femoro-Popliteal Angioplasties with the Need for Retrograde Approach in a Twin Center Series of 26 Consecutive Cases

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of percutaneous angioplasty using the Sub-intimal Arterial Flossing with Anterograde-Retrograde Intervention (SAFARI) technique in case of femoro-popliteal occlusion. Methods: This twin centers study included, from November 2012 till April 2015, all the attempts to carry out a femoro-popliteal angioplasty by SAFARI technique after anterograde failure. Results: Twenty-six patients were included (10 [38.5%] diabetics, mean age 67 ± 12 years). Twelve (46.2%) suffered from claudication and 14 (53.8%) from Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI). Mean lesion length was 175.8 ± 100.3 mm, with 4 (15.4%) Trans-Atlantic Society Consensus (TASC) C and 18 TASC D lesions (69.2%). Technical success was 84.6% (22 patients, 20 [76.9%] popliteal punctures), including 3 (11.5%) “rendezvous” techniques. Mean number of stents/patient was 1.5 ± 1.1 (diameter of 6.1 ± 0.3 mm, 196.0 ± 116.1 mm long) with systematic predilation (4.5 ± 1.1 mm in diameter, 116.8 ± 38.3 mm long balloons). Thirteen patients (50.0%) underwent simultaneous additional procedures. One hematoma (4.2%) occurred at the distal puncture site, without the need for surgery. Mean follow-up was 19.5 ± 12.4 months with a patency rate of 90.0% at 6 months and 50.8% at 12, 24 and 36 months, without redo surgery on target arteries in 100.0% of the cases at 6 months and 84.4% at 12, 24 and 36 months. At latest follow-up, 3 patients suffered from claudication (15.0%) and 6 were in CLI (30.0%). Four of 12 CLI patients were completely healed (33.3%) and 17 (85.0%) were clinically improved. Limb salvage rate was 96.2%. Estimated overall survival rate is 95.7% at 6 months, 90.6% at 12 months, 67.1% at 24 months and 40.3% at 36 months. Conclusion: The SAFARI technique is a minimally invasive approach increasing per-operative technical success of femoro-popliteal percutaneous angioplasties, without increasing the rate of local complications or influencing patency in the short-run.

The Success of Endovascular Therapy for All TransAtlantic Society Consensus Graded Femoropopliteal Lesions

Advances in technology and practice have led to increased endovascular management of all TransAtlantic Society Consensus (TASC)-graded lesions. This study aims to evaluate the success of endovascular therapy in the management of TASC-graded femoropopliteal lesions. Patients undergoing endovascular treatment for femoropopliteal lesions between July 1999 and August 2008 were divided by TASC scores and evaluated for primary, assisted-primary, and secondary patency rates at 12 and 24 months. Secondary endpoints included limb loss and postoperative complications. A total of 499 femoropopliteal lesions in 427 patients were treated with endovascular interventions. Score distribution for TASC type A, type B, type C, and type D lesions was 26 (5.2%), 140 (28.1%), 168 (33.7%), and 165 (33.1%), respectively. Primary, assisted-primary, and secondary patency rates at 24 months were 77.7 ± 3.2%, 78.9 ± 3.2%, and 86.7 ± 2.6%, respectively, for TASC type A + B lesions, 76.0 ± 3.3%, 77.2 ± 3.2%, and 85.0 ± 2.8%, respectively, for TASC type C lesions, and 61.2 ± 3.8%, 61.2 ± 3.8%, and 78.2 ± 3.2%, respectively, for TASC type D lesions. Compared with TASC type A + B and TASC type C lesions, TASC type D lesions were associated with worse primary and assisted-primary patency rates. However, there was no statistically significant difference in secondary patency between TASC type A + B and TASC type D lesions. The TASC score was not a significant predictor of postoperative complication rates. The 24-month limb salvage rate in patients with TASC type D lesions presenting with critical limb ischemia was 71.9 ± 8.0%. It was observed that all femoropopliteal lesions can be safely and effectively managed with endovascular therapy. Although TASC type D lesions do have lower primary and assisted-primary patency rates, high secondary patency rates comparable with other TASC scores can be achieved with effective prevention of limb loss. These data provide evidence to support endovascular therapy as primary management for all femoropopliteal lesions regardless of the TASC score.

Role of simple and complex hybrid revascularization procedures for symptomatic lower extremity occlusive disease

Hybrid reconstructions have been increasingly used for multilevel revascularization procedures as surgeons have embraced endovascular interventions. The goal of this study is to define the role of simple and complex hybrid techniques in patients who need multilevel revascularization. All patients undergoing arterial revascularization (endovascular [EV], open, hybrid) between June 2001 and May 2008 were included. Hybrid procedures were stratified as simple (sHYBRID group) when the endovascular-treated segment was TransAtlantic Society Consensus II (TASC) A/B, and complex (cHYBRID group), when TASC C/D. Of the 654 patients, 770 limbs (67% critical limb ischemia), 226 (29%) had open, 436 (57%) had endovascular, and 108 (14%) had hybrid procedures (56 sHYBRID, 52 cHYBRID). The HYBRID group was more likely to have hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) 4, and aortoiliac reconstructions, with more ASA 4 in the cHYBRID than the sHYBRID group. Length of stay in the HYBRID group was significantly longer than the EV group, but less than open-treated groups. Endovascular intervention was performed for inflow in 85%, for runoff in 5%, and for both inflow and runoff in the remaining 10% of hybrid cases. Eleven (20%) sHYBRID cases were staged, while all cHYBRID cases were performed simultaneously. Femoral endarterectomy was more frequent in cHYBRID (75% vs 23% in sHYBRID), infrainguinal bypass (17% vs 55%) was more common in sHYBRID, the remainder being femoro-femoral bypasses (8% vs 21%). Endovascular procedures were primarily iliac interventions (91% in sHYBRID, 88% in cHYBRID). Thirty-day myocardial infarction/death rate was significantly higher in the HYBRID than the EV group, with no difference within the HYBRID group. The patency rates were similar in the sHYBRID and cHYBRID groups, and comparable to the endovascular and open treated patients with similar disease complexity. Limb salvage in patients who presented with critical limb ischemia was better in the cHYBRID group than other groups. Overall survival was similar in all groups. Complex and simple hybrid procedures enable multilevel revascularizations in high-risk patients with comparable patency and limb salvage. Femoral endarterectomy plays a central role, especially in complex hybrid repairs. An increase in perioperative morbidity and mortality was observed in the hybrid group, likely due to attempting revascularization in higher risk patients.

Stenting vs above knee polytetrafluoroethylene bypass for TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus-II C and D superficial femoral artery disease

TransAtlantic Society Consensus (TASC)-II recommends bypass for TASC D and low-risk patients with TASC C lesions but does not specify graft types. Percutaneous balloon angioplasty/stenting (PTA/S) and above knee femoropopliteal bypass (AK-FPB) using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) for these lesions were compared to determine if graft type should be part of the TASC-II recommendations for the treatment of TASC C lesions. Consecutive patients who underwent AK-FPB with PTFE, or PTA/S for TASC-II C (PTA/S-C) or D (PTA/S-D) SFA lesions between June 2001 and April 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary end points were primary, assisted-primary, and secondary patency rates. In 127 patients (mean age, 68.7 +/- 10.0 years; median, 68; range, 49-97), 139 limbs were treated (46 AK-FPB, 49 PTA/S-C, 44 PTA/S-D). The mean occlusion and stented lengths were 9.9 +/- 3.8 and 24.3 +/- 6.6 cm (median, 10 and 20 cm) in PTA/S-C, and 26.6 +/- 5.5 and 30.0 +/- 5.2 cm (median, 26 and 29 cm) in PTA/S-D. Technical success was 84% in PTA/S-D and 100% in other groups. Mean follow-up was 26.4 +/- 18.0 months (median, 24). The 12- and 24-month primary patency was 83% +/- 6% and 80% +/- 7% for PTA/S-C; 54% +/- 8% and 28% +/- 12% for PTA/S-D; and 81% +/- 6% and 75% +/- 7% for AK-FPB (P < .001 PTA/S-D vs PTA/S-C and AK-FPB); assisted-primary patency was 95% +/- 3% and 95% +/- 3% for PTA/S-C, 62% +/- 8% and 49% +/- 10% for PTA/S-D, and 81% +/- 6% and 75% +/- 7% for AK-FPB (P < .001, PTA/S-C vs PTA/S-D; P = .003, PTA/S-C vs AK-FPB; and P = .03, PTA/S-D vs AK-FPB). Secondary patency was 98% +/- 3% and 98% +/- 3% for PTA/S-C; 72 % +/- 7% and 54% +/- 11% for PTA/S-D, and 81% +/- 6% and 78% +/- 7% for AK-FPB. Secondary patency was significantly better in PTA/S-C than AK-FPB (P = .003) and PTA/S-D groups (P < .001). The difference was marginally better in AK-FPB than in PTA/S-D (P = .064). PTA/S for TASC-II C lesions has a superior midterm patency than AK-FPB using PTFE, and AK-FPB with PTFE has better primary and assisted-primary patency than PTA/S-D. The TASC-II recommendations should be modified to recommend treatment of SFA TASC-II C lesions by PTA/S rather than PTFE bypass for all patients. PTA/S of TASC-II D lesions should only be considered in high-risk patients who cannot tolerate a bypass procedure using PTFE.

SMART Control stents in femoropopliteal region

Occlusive disease of lower limb arteries have been so far traditionally best treated with bypass surgery, but we want to find minimally invasive approach that should be at least as good as conventional surgery, and hopefully better. The aim of this study was to evaluate SMART Control stents (Cordis, J&J) in Trans Atlantic Society Consensus (TASC) B and C femoropopliteal lesions during one-year follow-up. Retrospective nonrandomized analysis included forty arteries in consecutive 40 patients who were stented with SMART Control stents. Primary patency at 12-month verified with Duplex Ultrasound and Acute Brachial Index (ABI) as well as freedom from Target Vessel Revascularization (TVR) were primary endpoints. Primary technical success at stent implantation was 100%. Mean ABI values were preprocedurally 0.50, postprocedurally 0.83, at one month 0.86, at six months 0.84, at one year 0.78. After one year 39 stents were patent (97.5%). Excellent performance of the stent from technical point of view and a midterm results in vessel patency, as well as the absence of need for TVR were achieved. Yet, life expectancy in this cohort group of patients demands longer follow up data to draw a definite sustained positive conclusion.