Long-Term Treatment Outcomes after Intravascular Ultrasound Evaluation and Stent Placement for Atherosclerotic Subclavian Artery Obstructive Lesions

The objective of this study was to determine long-term outcomes after stent placement for subclavian artery (SA) obstructive lesions assisted by intraoperative intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). The study included 25 lesions in 24 patients who underwent stent placement assisted by intraoperative IVUS for subclavian artery stenosis or obstruction at our hospital between January 2003 and August 2010. Outcome was evaluated based on the results within 30 postoperative days (technical success rate, improvement in upper extremity ischemia, steal syndrome, left-right blood pressure difference, and perioperative complications) and the results after 30 postoperative days (incidence of vertebrobasilar artery territory infarction and restenosis). Stent placement and vessel dilatation were successful in all patients, without perioperative complications. Upper extremity ischemia, steal syndrome, and left-right blood pressure difference disappeared in all cases. During follow-up observation (6–96 months; median 51 months), no restenosis occurred at the stent placement site in any patient. In one case, four years after initial treatment, stenosis was noted proximal to the stent placement site. Satisfactory long-term as well as short-term outcomes were achieved after stent placement for SA obstructive lesions assisted by intraoperative IVUS evaluation.