The most recent ZILVER PTX trial data, presented at the Controversies and Updates in Vascular Surgery (CACVS) congress (23–25 January 2014, Paris, France), demonstrate sustained positive results for the paclitaxel-eluting stent (Cook Medical) vs. bare metal stent in patients with peripheral arterial disease.
The four-year results from the ZILVER PTX randomised controlled trial show that paclitaxel-eluting stents continue to show superior results when compared to bare metal stents and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in terms of primary patency, restenosis reduction and revascularisation rates for femoropopliteal disease.
The data confirmed the indications from previous study results at one, two and three years in terms of:
Primary patency: Patients treated with Zilver PTX demonstrated 75% primary patency in the superficial femoral artery. This compares to 57.9% patency for patients with provisional bare metal stent placement in the study.
Restenosis reduction: Four-year restenosis was reduced by 41% with the paclitaxel coating in the head-to-head comparison of provisional paclitaxel-eluting stent placement vs. bare metal stent placement.
Revascularisation rate: 83.2% of patients with femoropopliteal lesions who were treated with Zilver PTX did not require revascularisation after four years. In comparison, 69.4% of patients treated with acutely successful percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or provisional bare metal stent placement did not require revascularisation.
