EVOLUTION Study: 12-month results.

BACKGROUND: The EVOLUTION Study is a prospective, non-randomized study, investigating the iVolution stent (iVascular, Barcelona, Spain). The study was conducted at the vascular departments of four hospitals in Belgium. This manuscript reports the findings up to 12-month follow-up time for the total cohort. The primary endpoint of the study is primary patency at 12 months. Primary patency is defined as a target lesion without a hemodynamically significant stenosis on duplex ultrasound (>50%, systolic velocity ratio no greater than 2.4) and without Target Lesion Revascularization (TLR) within 12 months.

METHODS: Between April 2015 and November 2016, 120 patients with TASC A&B femoropopliteal lesions were included. The mean lesion length was 89.63 mm. Most of the lesions were stenotic lesions (60.00%).

RESULTS: Primary patency rate for the total patient population was 86.30% at 12-month follow-up. Freedom from TLR at 12-month was 88.00%.

CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the already existing enthusiasm of the use of bare metal self-expandable nitinol stents in the treatment of TASC A&B femoropopliteal lesions. Longer follow-up and a comparison or addition with drug-eluting technology has to be studied in the future.