Prof. Dr. Ali Serdar Fak
Cardiac SurgeryVerified
- 29+years exp.
English · Turkish
FromPrice on request
Free quote
60 seconds · no obligationView Profile
Vascular Surgery
Peripheral vascular stenting
What peripheral vascular stenting is, how a balloon and stent reopen a narrowed artery in the leg or pelvis, what the evidence says compared with exercise, medicines and bypass, approximate costs in Turkey against the UK, US and Germany, the procedure step by step, recovery, risks and how to check a hospital.
A written plan with the surgeon's name and the full price — usually within 24 hours.
- Category
- Vascular Surgery
- Hospitals
- 2
- Verified
- 2
- Price from
- Price on request
Verified surgeons for Peripheral Vascular Stenting
2 doctors Compare doctors, ratings and prices — ask any of them for a free quote.
Dr. Bülent İlçöl
Cardiac SurgeryVerified
- 25+years exp.
English · Turkish
FromPrice on request
Free quote
60 seconds · no obligationView Profile
Peripheral vascular stenting in Turkey: what it is and how it works
Peripheral vascular stenting is a minimally invasive procedure that reopens a narrowed or blocked artery outside the heart, most often in the pelvis or the leg. The narrowing is usually caused by atherosclerosis, a build-up of fatty plaque in the artery wall, a condition called peripheral artery disease (PAD). A thin catheter is passed through a small puncture in the groin, wrist or behind the knee and guided under X-ray to the narrowed segment. A balloon is inflated to widen the artery, and a small mesh tube, the stent, is left in place to keep it open. There is no large incision and no need to stop the heart or open the leg.
This guide explains when a stent is chosen, what the evidence says, what the procedure costs compared with the UK, US and Germany, what recovery looks like and how to check a hospital. Many hospitals in Turkey offer this as part of their cardiology treatments, usually in a catheterisation laboratory run by an interventional cardiologist or vascular radiologist.
Which symptoms and scan results lead to peripheral vascular stenting?
PAD reduces blood flow to the legs. The typical symptom is claudication: cramping pain in the calf, thigh or buttock that comes on when you walk and eases within a few minutes of rest. More advanced disease causes pain at rest, particularly at night, cold or pale feet, sores that do not heal and, in the worst cases, gangrene. This last stage is called chronic limb-threatening ischaemia and needs urgent assessment.
The work-up normally includes a pulse examination, the ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI, a comparison of blood pressure at ankle and arm), a duplex ultrasound and, when a procedure is considered, CT or MR angiography or a catheter angiogram to map the blockage. The location, length and calcium content of the narrowing determine whether a stent, a plain balloon, a bypass or no procedure is the sensible choice.
Does peripheral vascular stenting work? What the evidence says
It works well for relieving symptoms in suitable patients, particularly for short blockages in the iliac arteries of the pelvis, where stents give durable results. In the long femoropopliteal segment in the thigh the artery bends and moves with every step, and re-narrowing (restenosis) is more common. For that reason drug-coated balloons and drug-eluting stents, which release a medicine that slows scar tissue growth, were developed, and trial data show higher patency rates at one to two years than plain balloons in selected lesions, although debate about long-term safety of some devices has continued.
It is just as important to know what a stent does not do. It does not treat the underlying disease. Guidance from NICE and from vascular societies advises that people with intermittent claudication first try supervised exercise, stop smoking and take medicines such as a statin and an antiplatelet, because these reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, which a stent cannot. Stenting is chosen when exercise and medical treatment are not enough, or when the limb is threatened.
Peripheral vascular stenting cost in Turkey compared with the UK, US and Germany
The figures below are approximate ranges for a single-leg procedure in a private hospital, not hospital quotes. The price depends on the number and length of lesions, the type of stent or balloon, the length of hospital stay and the imaging done before and after. Each hospital confirms its price in a written quote after reviewing your scans.
| Country | Approximate cost range |
|---|---|
| Turkey | €3,000 – €12,000 |
| United Kingdom | €7,000 – €20,000 |
| United States | €15,000 – €50,000 |
| Germany | €8,000 – €22,000 |
What changes the price: a single stent against several, drug-coated or covered devices, whether atherectomy or intravascular imaging is added, the anaesthesia, one night or several in hospital, and whether the pre-procedure angiography is included. Ask which stent brand and type is planned and whether any repeat procedure within a set period is covered; both should be in the written quote.
Stent, balloon alone, atherectomy or bypass: how do the options compare?
A stent is one of several ways to restore flow. A balloon alone (angioplasty) is often tried first in short lesions; see our guide to arterial angioplasty and stenting. Heavily calcified plaque may be shaved or cleared with atherectomy before a balloon or stent. Long or complex blockages in the thigh may be better served by an operation such as femoral-popliteal bypass, in which a vein or graft carries blood around the blocked segment.
| Option | Best suited to | Typical limits |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise and medicines | Mild to moderate claudication | Needs months of commitment; does not open the artery |
| Balloon angioplasty, with or without drug coating | Short blockages | Artery can narrow again; may need a stent |
| Stent | Iliac arteries, balloon results that recoil, selected thigh lesions | Stents can fracture or re-narrow in the thigh and behind the knee |
| Bypass surgery | Long or multiple blockages, limb threatened | Open surgery, longer stay, wound risks |
The right option is decided by a vascular team on the basis of your scan, your general health and the state of the limb. Be cautious about any clinic that recommends a stent without an angiogram or duplex report.
Is it arterial disease or a vein problem? A common confusion
Leg pain and swelling are sometimes thought to be the same problem, but varicose veins and PAD are different. Varicose veins are enlarged veins carrying blood back to the heart and are treated by closure or removal, as described in our guides to endovenous laser ablation and other vein procedures. Peripheral stenting treats arteries that carry blood to the leg. A vascular specialist distinguishes them with a pulse check and duplex scan, and the treatments are not interchangeable.
Who is a good candidate, and who is not?
Suitable patients have symptoms that limit daily life despite exercise and medicines, or a threatened limb, and an artery whose shape suits a catheter treatment. You may be less suited if the blockage is very long, heavily calcified or involves many small arteries; if you have severe kidney disease, since contrast dye can strain the kidneys; if you cannot take antiplatelet medicine, because this is needed after the stent; or if you have an uncontrolled infection in the limb. People with diabetes are at higher risk and need careful foot assessment. If you smoke, stopping is a core part of the plan, because stents in smokers fail more often.
Peripheral vascular stenting step by step: anaesthesia, duration and technique
Before the procedure you fast for several hours, and blood tests and kidney function are checked. The area is cleaned and numbed with local anaesthetic, and mild sedation is added if you are anxious. The doctor passes a sheath into the artery, injects contrast dye to show the blockage and threads a fine guidewire across it. A balloon is inflated, the stent is deployed and the result is checked with another dye injection. The sheath is removed and the puncture site is closed with a closure device or pressure.
A simple iliac stent can take 30 to 60 minutes; long or multiple lesions can take two hours or more. You lie flat for a few hours and usually stay one night. Several types of stents are used, including self-expanding nitinol stents for the thigh and balloon-expandable stents for the iliac arteries. Ask which type is planned and why.
Recovery after peripheral vascular stenting and how long to stay in Turkey
Most patients walk the same or next day and leave hospital after one night. The puncture site can be bruised and tender for a week; avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for about a week or as advised. You will normally take a dual antiplatelet regimen such as aspirin with clopidogrel for a period decided by the doctor, plus a statin. Walking is encouraged, as it helps the leg adapt, and supervised exercise is often recommended on top of the stent.
Plan to stay about 3 to 5 days in Turkey: arrival and tests, the procedure, one night in hospital and a check with ultrasound before discharge. Your flight home is usually possible after that, with walking breaks and good hydration. A follow-up duplex scan at one to three months, and again at around six and twelve months, checks that the stent stays open. Arrange these with your own doctor before you travel.
Peripheral vascular stenting before and after: what are realistic results?
The "after" is mostly functional rather than visible. Many people can walk further before cramping starts, rest pain eases, and foot pulses and ABPI readings improve. Wounds that were slow to heal have a better chance to heal because blood flow has returned. Scan images show the artery open at the stent site, but they do not show the other narrowings that may remain elsewhere. Results vary by lesion type, and the benefit is greatest when the patient stops smoking, takes the medicines and keeps walking. Realistic expectations include improvement, not a cure of arterial disease.
Risks and complications of peripheral vascular stenting
Common effects are bruising and a small lump at the puncture site. Less common complications include bleeding or a false aneurysm (pseudoaneurysm) at the puncture, allergic reaction to contrast dye, kidney injury from the dye, blood clot in the stent, injury to the artery wall, re-narrowing (restenosis) and, rarely, loss of a limb or stroke. Stent fracture can occur in arteries that bend and stretch. The NHS and the British Society of Interventional Radiology set out these risks in their patient information. A reliable team discusses them with you before consent and gives written follow-up instructions.
How to choose a hospital and doctor, and questions to ask
Look for a hospital with a dedicated catheterisation laboratory, vascular surgery on site in case a complication needs open repair, and an interventional cardiologist or radiologist who performs these procedures regularly. Red flags include a quote with no scan review, a stent recommended before any angiogram, no vascular surgeon in the hospital, pressure to pay quickly and promises that the artery will stay open for life. Read how our process works and send your scans through the free quote page for a written plan.
- Which artery and how long is the blockage on my scan?
- Is a balloon alone, a drug-coated device or a stent planned, and why?
- Which stent brand is used and is it included in the price?
- Is there a vascular surgeon on site if a complication occurs?
- How long will I need antiplatelet medicine, and who monitors it at home?
- Which follow-up scans are needed and can my own doctor do them?
Hospitals with Cardiac Surgery in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
It is a catheter procedure that reopens a narrowed artery in the leg or pelvis using a balloon, then leaves a small mesh tube, the stent, to keep the artery open. It is done through a small puncture, not a large incision.
It relieves symptoms in suitable patients, especially in the pelvic arteries. In the thigh the artery can narrow again, so supervised exercise, stopping smoking and medicines remain essential parts of treatment.
Approximate ranges are €3,000 to €12,000 in Turkey against about €7,000 to €20,000 in the UK. The price depends on the number of stents, device type and length of stay, and the hospital confirms it in writing.
Most people walk further before cramping and rest pain eases. Scans show the artery open at the stent site, but the underlying disease remains and needs lifelong medicines and exercise.
Most people walk the same or next day and leave after one night. Avoid heavy lifting for about a week, and expect to take antiplatelet tablets for a period chosen by the doctor.
The groin or wrist is numbed with local anaesthetic, with mild sedation if wanted. Most people feel pressure rather than pain, and bruising at the puncture site is common for about a week.
It depends on the artery and the lesion. Pelvic stents often stay open for years, while thigh arteries can narrow again within one to two years, so follow-up scans are needed.
Stenting avoids open surgery and usually means a shorter stay, but it is not suited to every blockage. Long or complex disease may be better treated by bypass. A vascular team decides from your scans.
People who cannot take antiplatelet medicine, have severe kidney disease or an uncontrolled infection in the limb, or whose blockage is very long or heavily calcified may need another approach.
Plan 3 to 5 days: tests, the procedure, one night in hospital and a check scan before discharge. Arrange follow-up duplex scans with your own doctor at home.
Patient stories