Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy using Rotarex catheter in peripheral artery occlusion diseases - Experience from a single center

Aims The aim of this retrospective single-center study was to analyze the immediate results, failures and complications of percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy using the Rotarex catheter in the treatment of peripheral artery occlusion. Methods In this study, we identified a total of 42 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy using Rotarex catheter at our institution. Procedural outcomes and complications were evaluated. Results The cohort consisted of 42 patients (31 men and 11 women), aged 32-93 years (median 68 years). The number of external iliac artery occlusion was 5, with common femoral artery 5, superficial femoral artery 28, femoral profound artery 2, popliteal artery 12, and brachial artery 2. The causes of occlusion were thrombosis (29 cases, 69%), embolism (6 cases, 14%), and reocclusion after percutaneous intervention (7 cases, 17%). We achieved primary success in 100% of the patients with mechanical thrombectomy, associated with balloon angioplasty (40/42, 95.2%) and stent deployment (16/42, 38.1%). The median time of the interventional procedure was 145 min. We encountered lower percentage of distal embolization (2.4%) and artery dissection (2.4%) during usage of Rotarex catheter in our cohort. Conclusions Rotarex thrombectomy was a useful tool to recanalize occluded vessels with additional treatment such as balloon angioplasty or stent deployment, with a low rate of failures and complications. And prospective studies in this issue are recommended.