endovascular treatment with drug-coated balloons in femoropopliteal artery disease

Objectives: in this study, we aimed to evaluate the one-year follow-up findings of endovascular treatment with drug-covered balloon in patients with femoropopliteal artery disease (fad). patients and methods: from june 2012 to march 2015, 43 patients were enrolled in the study. fifteen patients, 16 limbs and 19 lesions were treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (pta). twenty-eight patients, 31 limbs and 36 lesions were treated with drug-coated balloon (dcb). at 12 months, all patients were examined with magnetic resonance angiography. results: primary patency was seen in 47.4% of the treated lesions in the pta group and 80.5% in the dcb group. there was statistically significant difference in primary patency between the groups (p = 0.011). clinical improvement was seen in 56.3% of the treated limbs in the pta group and 83.9% in the dcb group. there was no statistically significant difference in clinical improvement between the two groups (p = 0.075). conclusion: dcb with low restenosis rate can be used safely for endovascular treatment in patients with fad as an alternative of standard balloon and stent.