Endovascular treatment of in-stent occlusion: new technique for recanalization of long superficial femoral artery occlusion (direct stent puncture technique)

In-stent reocclusion is a frequent complication of endovascular treatment and stenting, especially in the superficial femoral artery. Neointimal hyperplasia is the main cause of this problem, but in many cases, it occurs as a result of the presence of stent strut fractures. The two treatment options are endovascular and surgical intervention. The effectiveness of endovascular interventions in patients with critical limb ischemia has been well established, but in some cases, crossing the occluded stent is difficult. We describe a new technique to recanalize long in-stent superficial femoral artery occlusions characterized by direct stent puncture, followed by retrograde-antegrade recanalization after antegrade failures.