Percutaneous endovascular treatment of peripheral arterial disease in Germany

Abstract

Purpose: The general distribution of balloon angioplasty, stenting and other endovascular interventions in treating peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is unclear.

Methods and results: We used national statistics (DRG statistics) published by the Federal Statistical Office including data from almost all hospitals in Germany to calculate the rates and types of lower extremity endovascular procedures in 2012. In 2012 150,503 peripheral endovascular procedures were documented in Germany. The predominant procedures were percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with 86.0% followed by thrombolysis with 7.2% and thrombectomy with 2.9%. In 50,092 (33.3%) of all peripheral endovascular procedures performed in the lower limb arteries a stent was placed: 66.7% in iliac, 34.3% in femoro-popliteal and 9.7% in cruro-pedal procedures. From these 50,092 procedures DES were coded in 3063 (6.1%) and covered stents in 1841 (3.7%). The highest rate of covered stents was placed in the aorta (8.6%) but the highest rate of DES was in the cruro-pedal arteries (23.1%).

Conclusion: Pure PTA is still the most frequently performed procedure in peripheral arteries and in only one third of all procedures was a stent placed in Germany in 2012.

Keywords: Balloon angioplasty; Peripheral arterial disease; Stenting; Thrombolysis.