STENT PLACEMENT FOR TREATMENT OF MESENTERIC ARTERY STENOSES OR OCCLUSIONS

Purpose To evaluate stent placement in the treatment of mesenteric ischemia. Patients and Methods Twelve patients (eight women, four men; mean age, 63 years) with chronic mesenteric ischemia under-went stent placement for stenoses or occlusions during a 5.5-year period. Nine patients with 10 stenoses (three celiac arteries, seven superior mesenteric arteries) and three patients with three chronic occlusions (two superior mesenteric arteries, one aorto-superior mesenteric artery bypass graft) were treated. Results Initial technical success was achieved in 11 of the 12 patients (92%), including all three patients with chronic occlusions. There were no technical complications. There was one postproce-dural death ( Conclusions Stent placement is safe and clinically effective as an adjunctive therapy to angioplasty or as a primary method of treatment for chronic mesenteric ischemia in patients with focal visceral artery stenoses or occlusions.