Impact of balloon inflation duration on angiographic outcomes in infrainguinal atherosclerotic lesions

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of short versus prolonged balloon inflation times on the degree of residual stenosis following peripheral balloon angioplasty. Patients and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 239 balloon angioplasty procedures performed on 192 patients (158 males, 34 females; mean age: 66±9.7 years; range, 42 to 94 years) between April 1, 2020, and September 1, 2020, were analyzed. Patients were categorized into two groups based on balloon inflation time: ≤1 min (n=138) and >2 min (n=101). Preoperative and postoperative angiographic images were compared to assess the degree of stenosis. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of age or comorbid conditions (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, chronic renal failure, hyperlipidemia, and obesity; p>0.05 for all). Preoperative stenosis levels were similar between groups (p=0.738); however, residual stenosis was significantly lower in the prolonged inflation group (p<0.001). The incidence of arterial dissection was also reduced in this group. No significant differences were found between the groups regarding thrombosis or vascular perforation. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that balloon inflation times exceeding 2 min reduced residual stenosis and complications such as dissection.