Clinical trial NCT00902317: Prime Time for Superficial Femoral Artery (SFA) - The SFA Study
Official title: A Randomized Trial for Femoropopliteal Arteries
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: TERMINATED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Peripheral Vascular Disease
Lead sponsor: Arizona Heart Institute
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2009-05-15
Enrollment: 130
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to compare the different endovascular treatment modalities for the femoropopliteal segment, and to determine technical success, efficacy and patency at mid-term follow-up. Modalities include; Angioplasty/stent (Control group, Guidant), Cryoplasty/stent (Boston Scientific), Laser Angioplasty/stent (Spectranetics), SilverHawk Atherectomy/stent (Fox Hollow), and Viabahn Endograft (WL Gore).

Detailed description: Peripheral vascular occlusive disease is a progressive and often debilitating form of atherosclerosis affecting the vessels of the upper and lower extremities. Patients typically present with complaints of pain in the involved extremity (claudication), others present with numbness, heaviness, or fatigue in the affected limb. With regards to the progression of the disease, up to 10% of patients with intermittent claudication may progress to limb loss over the course of 5 years. Past studies indicated that 2/3 of the patients' symptoms remained stable. Most recent studies, however, suggest that the natural history results in more disabling symptoms.

These patients can be evaluated with non-invasive studies including Ankle-Brachial Indices (ABI) or arterial duplex to assess the arterial flow. If stenosis or total occlusion is identified, an invasive study (angiogram) may be necessary. From these studies we are able to determine if the patient is a candidate for either a traditional surgical procedure (bypass) or a percutaneous treatment, similar to the angiogram.

The superficial femoral artery (SFA) has been the region most difficult to treat and maintain patency. Stenosis and/or occlusion often can occur by 6 months. Results of balloon angioplasty and stenting in the femoropopliteal segment have been for the most part variable and often with poor results. The SFA and popliteal arteries are extremely difficult to treat because the diffuse nature of disease, high degree of recoil, amplified reactivity, large number of occlusions, calcification, and the impact of inflow and run-off.

Angioplasty alone, is limited by a high frequency of dissection, significant recoil, and unacceptably high restenosis rates. While stenting has made an acute impact on dissection and recoil, restenosis rates have only modestly improved over time. More aggressive stent utilization has created other problems; in-stent restenosis, occlusion and stent-strut fracture.

Now, percutaneous revascularization has become an option for many patients due to a minimal invasive nature. Various other modalities have been used most recently to treat the femoropopliteal region, including the cool laser, atherectomy, cryoplasty and endoluminal grafts in an attempt to obtain a long-lasting result. At present, few studies compare the use of other devices different from stents in this anatomical location.

Randomization is done before the intervention by opening a sealed envelope containing the type of procedure. All procedures will be done under systemic heparinization using 3 to 5K ui of IV heparin. All cases will be approached percutaneously from the contralateral CFA to prevent that the access site interfere with patency outcome (i.e., antegrade approach). The use of stents as adjunctive Rx in laser, atherectomy, balloon angioplasty and cryoplasty cases will be a sole decision of the interventionist. PTA and stent will be the control group. To maintain uniformity, the stent to be used during the entire series will be the Guidant "Absolute" stent. The laser probe to be used in the study, is the 2.0, 2.2, or 2.5 mm (0.35 compatible) concentric catheter - Spectranetics. The endoluminal graft for the series is the Viabahn - W.L. Gore. The use of closure devices in the access site, will be decision of the interventionist. All patients should be treated post-op with Plavix 75 mg orally for three months starting the day of the intervention.

All subjects will be evaluated pre-procedure, 2 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months. Subject follow-up at 2 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months will include Bilateral ABIs, Arterial Duplex, and a Complete Physical Exam/Clinical Symptoms (presence of pulses).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Stenosis \> 70% or total occlusion of the femoropopliteal segment that do not include the origin of the SFA.
* SFA and popliteal of \> 4 mm in diameter.
* TASC classification A, B, and C.
* At least one vessel run-off.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Age \< 18 years old.
* Medical condition that may cause the patient not to be compliant with follow-up (Ex. terminal cancer).
* Pregnancy
* Unwilling or unable to comply with the follow-up.
* Inability or refusal of informed consent.
* Medical Exclusion Criteria:

  * Systemic Infection (sepsis)
  * Bleeding diathesis unable to use anticoagulation.
  * Untreatable reaction to contrast material.
* Anatomical Endovascular Exclusion Criteria:

  * SFA/Popliteal artery \< 4 mm diameter.
  * Total occlusion of femoral artery with non-visualization of the origin of the SFA.
  * Previous SFA/popliteal intervention (PTA, stenting etc.)
  * Acute ischemia and/or acute thrombosis of the SFA-Popliteal segment.
  * TASC type D.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Determine if the devices (laser, atherectomy, polarcath, and viabahn endograft) offer better treatment, better outcome, and better patency than the angioplasty/stent treatment to the femoral artery.
timeFrame: 2 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Phoenix
country: United States
facility: Arizona Heart Institute
state: Arizona
Study officials:
affiliation: Arizona Heart Institute
name: Julio Rodriguez-Lopez, M.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: McDaniel MD, Cronenwett JL. Basic data related to the natural history of intermittent claudication. Ann Vasc Surg. 1989 Jul;3(3):273-7. doi: 10.1016/S0890-5096(07)60040-5. No abstract available.
citation: Gray BH, Olin JW. Limitations of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stenting for femoropopliteal arterial occlusive disease. Semin Vasc Surg. 1997 Mar;10(1):8-16.
citation: Wilson SE, Wolf GL, Cross AP. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty versus operation for peripheral arteriosclerosis. Report of a prospective randomized trial in a selected group of patients. J Vasc Surg. 1989 Jan;9(1):1-9.
citation: Ansel GM. Endovascular treatment of superficial femoral and popliteal arterial occlusive disease. J Invasive Cardiol. 2000 Jul;12(7):382-8. No abstract available.
citation: Henry M, Amor M, Ethevenot G, Henry I, Amicabile C, Beron R, Mentre B, Allaoui M, Touchot N. Palmaz stent placement in iliac and femoropopliteal arteries: primary and secondary patency in 310 patients with 2-4-year follow-up. Radiology. 1995 Oct;197(1):167-74. doi: 10.1148/radiology.197.1.7568818.
citation: Joyce, JD. An Overview of Cryoplasty. Endovasc Today 2004; vol 3, No. 9, 54-56
citation: Ramaiah V, Cardenas J et al. Arizona Heart Hospital SilverHawk Experience. Endovasc Today Supplement Sept 2.004. pp. 11.
citation: Rodriguez-Lopez JA, Soler L, Werner A, Martinez E, Papazoglou K, Diethrich EB. Long-term follow-up of endoluminal grafting for aneurysmal and occlusive disease in the superficial femoral artery. J Endovasc Surg. 1999 Aug;6(3):270-7. doi: 10.1583/1074-6218(1999)0062.0.CO;2.
citation: Rubin BG, Sicard GA. The Hemobahn endoprosthesis: a self-expanding polytetrafluoroethylene-covered endoprosthesis for the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease after balloon angioplasty. J Vasc Surg. 2001 Feb;33(2 Suppl):S124-8. doi: 10.1067/mva.2001.111674.