The DURABILITY II study provides outcomes in 220 patients treated with nitinol self-expanding stent placement for femoro-popliteal disease out to three years. In this core lab adjudicated study, the EverFlex™ (Covidien, Plymouth, MN) self-expanding stents had a low stent fracture rate (0.9%). The study demonstrated a freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) of nearly 70% at 3 years. Based on this study, primary angioplasty and stenting of these lesions is a reasonable strategy though results are better with lesions less than 8 cm compared to those greater than 8 cm. Further research is need comparing this strategy to use of drug-coated stents and that of atherectomy with drug eluting balloons and with longer term follow-up.
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