BACKGROUND: To investigate the curative effect and utility of the TurboHawk plaque circumcision system in the treatment of patients with superficial femoral atherosclerosis (SFA).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 60 cases of superficial femoral atherosclerotic stenosis and occlusion treated with the TurboHawk plaque circumcision system for endovascular ablation of the superficial femoral artery in the People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region between January 2016 and December 2017.

RESULTS: The sample comprised of 50 male and 10 female patients with an average age of 65±4.5 years (range 47 to 70 years). This group of patients had varying degrees of limb ischemia, with disease duration ranging from 1 week to 3 years. The main symptoms included markedly cooler lower-extremity skin temperature, pale and cyanotic, intermittent claudication (10 cases), resting pain (31 cases), distal limb mild ischemic ulcer (14 cases), and tissue ischemic necrosis and gangrene (5 cases). All cases were in stages 3–6 of the Rutherford classification. Almost half (28 patients, 47%) had a significant improvement in their affected limbs and more than half (32 cases, 53%) had a moderate improvement in clinical symptoms after the intervention. After surgery, lumen stenosis decreased and ankle brachial index (ABI) increased significantly (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The TurboHawk plaque circumcision system is a feasible and effective method for the treatment of SFA with the advantages of less trauma and better safety, and shows a significant curative effect in a short period.

Keywords: Intermittent Claudication, Lower Extremity, peripheral arterial disease, Plaque, Atherosclerotic