Reinterventions for stent restenosis in patients treated for atherosclerotic mesenteric artery disease

Objective: Mesenteric artery angioplasty and stenting (MAS) has been plagued by high restenosis and reintervention rates. The purpose of this study was to review the outcomes of patients treated for mesenteric artery in-stent restenosis (MAISR). Methods: The clinical data of 157 patients treated for chronic mesenteric ischemia with MAS of 170 vessels was entered into a prospective database (1998-2010). Fifty-seven patients (36%) developed MAISR after a mean follow-up of 29 months, defined by duplex ultrasound peak systolic velocity >330 cm/s and angiographic stenosis >60%. We reviewed the clinical data, radiologic studies, and outcomes of patients who underwent reintervention for restenosis. End points were mortality and morbidity, patient survival, symptom recurrence, reintervention, and patency rates. Results: There were 30 patients (25 female and five male; mean age, 69 ± 14 years) treated with reintervention for MAISR. Twenty-four patients presented with recurrent symptoms (21 chronic, three acute), and six had asymptomatic preocclusive lesions. Twenty-six patients (87%) underwent redo endovascular revascularization (rER) with stent placement in 17 (13 bare metal and four covered) or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in nine. The other four patients (13%) had open bypass, one for acute ischemia. There was one death (3%) in a patient treated with redo stenting for acute mesenteric ischemia. Seven patients (27%) treated by rER developed complications, including access site problems in four patients, and distal embolization with bowel ischemia, congestive heart failure and stent thrombosis in one each. Symptom improvement was noted in 22 of the 24 symptomatic patients (92%). After a mean follow-up of 29 ± 12 months, 15 patients (50%) developed a second restenosis, and seven (23%) required other reintervention. Rates of symptom recurrence, restenosis, and reinterventions were 0/4, 0/4, and 0/4 for covered stents, 2/9, 3/9, and 2/9 for PTA, 5/13, 8/13, and 5/13 for bare metal stents, and 1/4, 4/4, and 0/4 for open bypass. For all patients, freedom from recurrent symptoms, restenosis, and reinterventions were 70% ± 10%, 60% ± 10% and 50% ±10% at 2 years. For patients treated by rER, secondary patency rates were 72 ± 12 at the same interval. Conclusions: Nearly 40% of patients developed mesenteric artery in-stent restenosis, of which half required reintervention because of symptom recurrence or progression to an asymptomatic preocclusive lesion. Mesenteric reinterventions were associated with low mortality (3%), high complication rate (27%), and excellent symptom improvement (92%).