Recanalization of Acute and Subacute Femoropopliteal Artery Occlusions with the Rotarex Catheter: One Year Follow-up, Single Center Experience

Purpose:: To assess the efficacy and safety of a new rotational catheter for percutaneous removal of fresh and organized thrombi in the femoropopliteal artery. Methods:: Forty-one limbs in 38 patients (age 56-90 years, mean 75.6 years) with acute, subacute or chronic femoropopliteal occlusions of 1-180 days' duration (mean 31.6 days) were treated with the Rotarex device. The Fontaine stage was mainly IIB (Rutherford 2-3, 22 patients) or III (Rutherford 4, 14 patients). The length of occlusion varied from 2 to 35 cm (mean 13.1 cm). After recanalization percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was performed if there was a residual stenosis of >25%. Patients were followed up with color Doppler ultrasound at 48 hr and clinically with Doppler pressures and oscillometry at 3, 6, and 12 months. Results:: After an average of two passages with the Rotarex catheter all but two limbs required PTA for residual stenosis >25%. Five patients needed additional stenting. Major complications were one groin hematoma requiring blood transfusion and one arteriovenous fistula spontaneously thrombosing after unsuccessful primary prolonged balloon dilation. Distal embolizations occurred in 10 patients; 6 clinically relevant emboli were aspirated. All occlusions were technically successfully recanalised there were 2 early reocclusions after 1 day and two at 2 weeks. Brachial-ankle indices improved from an average of 0.41 before to 0.93 after recanalization. Primary and secondary patency rates were 62% / 84% after 6 months and 39% / 68% after 1 year. The amputation-free survival at 12 months was 100%. Conclusion:: The Rotarex mechanical thrombectomy device is an efficient, quick, easy to handle, and safe tool for the treatment of acute, subacute or even chronic peripheral arterial thromboembolic occlusions. It can be used for short or long occlusions with equal success, provided the obstruction is not heavily calcified and has been safely passed with a guidewire firs

ECG-triggered non-contrast-enhanced MR angiography (TRANCE) versus digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease of the lower extremities

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively determine the diagnostic value of electrocardiography-triggered non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (TRANCE) of the lower extremities including the feet versus DSA. METHODS: All 43 patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) underwent TRANCE before DSA. Quality of MRA vessel depiction was rated by two independent radiologists on a 3-point scale. Arterial segments were graded for stenoses using a 4-point scale (grade 1: no stenosis; grade 2: moderate stenosis; grade 3: severe stenosis; grade 4: occlusion). Findings were compared with those of DSA. RESULTS: In the 731 vessel segments analysed, intra-arterial DSA revealed 283 stenoses: 33.6% moderate, 16.6% severe and 49.8% occlusions. TRANCE yielded a mean sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy to detect severe stenoses or occlusions of 95.6%, 97.4%, 87.2%, 99.2%, 97.1% for the thigh segments and 95.2%, 87.5%, 83.2%, 96.6%, 90.5% for the calf segments. Excellent overall image quality was observed for TRANCE in 91.4% versus 95.7% (DSA) for the thigh and in 60.7% versus 91.0% for the calves, while diagnostic quality of the pedal arteries was rated as insufficient. CONCLUSION: TRANCE achieves high diagnostic accuracy in the thigh and calf regions, whereas the pedal arteries showed limited quality