Transluminal angioplasty of the superior mesenteric artery: an alternative to surgical revascularization.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of stenotic lesions of the superior mesenteric artery was performed eight times in four patients with ischemic bowel syndrome. All patients were either poor surgical risks or had lesions not amenable to surgical correction. One patient also had angioplasty of a stenotic celiac artery. The four patients in this report have had more than 1 year of follow-up. All have had good results. Superior mesenteric artery angioplasty seems to be a nonsurgical alternative for the treatment of atherosclerotic mesenteric ischemia.