Covered Stents for Groin and Iliac Artery Blockage

Narrowing or blockage of the iliac arteries, which run from the abdomen toward the legs, can cause pain when walking and, in advanced cases, wounds. In interventional radiology these arteries can be opened without incision using balloons and stents.

In a 2025 study in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology by Prof. Dr. Murat Canyiğit and Muhammed Said Beşler, 40 patients (98 stents) treated with the iCover balloon-expandable covered stent were reviewed. Technical success was 100%, freedom from target lesion revascularization at 6 months 95.8% and primary patency 91.7%; mean follow-up was 6.2 months.

In a 2026 study in Annals of Vascular Surgery, co-authored by Prof. Dr. Murat Canyiğit, 58 patients who received covered stent-grafts for traumatic or iatrogenic femoral artery injury were followed for 5 years: technical success 100%, 5-year primary patency 72.4% and secondary patency 94.8%.

These are single-center retrospective studies, and the iliac study has short follow-up. The type of stent and the decision to treat depend on the vessel and the patient's general health. This article is general information.