Angioplasty of the Innominate Artery in 89 Patients: Experience over 19 Years

Purpose: To assess retrospectively the success of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in treating innominate artery stenoses and occlusions in a large series of patients with long-term follow-up results. Methods: In symptomatic (upper limb claudication, transient ischemic attack, vertebrobasilar insufficiency) patients with high-degree (>60%) stenosis, innominate artery PTA was performed. Long-term follow-up was undertaken by blood pressure measurements on both arms as well as subclavian, right common carotid and right vertebral duplex scan. Results: Between 1981 and 1999, the primary success rate of 89 innominate artery PTA (84 stenoses, 5 occlusions) was 96.4%. Complications included one left occipital lobe infarction (2%), two puncture-site thromboses (3%) and four transient ischemic attacks (6%). Two patients with restenosis were successfully treated with re-PTA. Cumulative primary patency was 98 ± 2% at 6 months, 93 ± 4% at 16–117 months; secondary patency was 100% at 6 months, 98 ± 2% at 12–117 months. Sixty-one percent of the patients became symptomless, 32% improved, 7% showed no improvement. Conclusion: Angioplasty of the innominate artery has been proven to be safe and effective on a large series of patients. For innominate artery stenosis and short occlusion, PTA should be the treatment of choice.