Disintegration of a Balloon-Expandable Stent in the Iliac Artery Upon Delivery

Although there are still some controversies on the choice of ideal stent as well as balloon-expandable versus self-expanding stents for aorto-iliac disease; iliac stenting is widely accepted procedure for focal atherosclerotic iliac artery stenosis. Herein, we present an unusual unilateral iliac stenting complication caused by disintegration struts of balloon-expandable stent which was successfully handled by means of kissing stents. 62-year-old woman presented with complaints of severe claudication of the right lower extremity. Short segment stenosis of the proximal right common iliac artery was detected. Balloon-expandable stent was deployed and stent delivery catheter was then exchanged uneventfully for the pigtail catheter followed by a control arteriogram which demonstrated the fractured and elongated stent into the distal aorta centrally. Then, two self-expandable nitinol stents were deployed in bilateral common iliac artery in order to compress the fractured stent struts against the aortic wall. Control arteriogram was obtained showing excellent result with no residual stenosis. However, stent fractures involving balloon-expandable stents in the iliac arteries are extremely rare, this unusual stent fracture type should be considered before implantation of a stent in the iliac artery.