The Strecker stent: indications and results in iliac and femoropopliteal arteries.

We have implanted more than 100 Strecker stents in the iliac and femoral arteries. In iliac arteries, follow-up is available from 8 to 48 months (mean 20 months) and in peripheral arteries, from 8 to 32 months (mean 19 months). In iliac and proximal femoral arteries there was a patency rate of 98% (mean 20 months after stent implantation) whereas in peripheral arteries the patency rate was 70.8% (mean 19 months after stent implantation). Besides careful selection of patients, anticoagulation is very important for successful stenting. Because of the excellent results of stents in iliac vessels there is a wide range of good indications, including primary stenting after recanalization of occlusions. In contrast, stent implantation in peripheral vessels should be restricted to special cases such as acute dissection or reocclusion after successful recanalization.