[Implantation of Strecker stents in the iliac and femoropopliteal region].

The aim of implanting vascular endoprosthesis is to avoid acute complications and restenosis after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The Strecker stent is a new development, based on the principle of balloon-expandable endoprosthesis. We treated seven patients (five male, two female) aged 48 to 84 years (average 68 years) with Strecker stents in the iliac and femoropopliteal region. The indications for the implantation of stents were restenosis, reocclusion, recoiling, and kink stenosis. Also, acute complications as dissection or intimal flaps after PTA were stented. The implantation of the Strecker stents was in every case without technical complications. The condition of three patients suffering from a stage III, according to Fontaine's classification, improved to stage IIa after treatment. In three out of four patients with a stage IIb, clinical symptoms were changed to stage IIa after stenting. One patient had an acute thrombosis during the intervention, which could not be solved by local thrombolysis. The Doppler sonographic index increased after treatment to an average of 0.31. The follow-up period up to six months showed persistent clinical improvement. Intimal hyperplasia with stent occlusion or thromboembolic occlusions was not observed. The Strecker stent is a technically non-problematic system, which is qualified for the endoprosthetic therapy of the iliac and femoropopliteal region.