Bausback Y, et al. - In this multicenter, randomized trial involving patients with symptomatic femoropopliteal disease (n=150), researchers compared drug-eluting stents (DES) with drug-coated balloons (DCB) through 36 months. Primary patency was assessed at 12 months via Kaplan-Meier (primary effectiveness endpoint). The investigators also assessed major adverse events including death, major amputations, and clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and clinical outcomes (secondary endpoints). Participants were randomized to primary DES implantation or DCB angioplasty with bailout stenting after stratification for lesion length (≤ 10 cm, > 10 cm to ≤ 20 cm, and > 20 cm to ≤ 30 cm). At 12 months, 79% and 80% Kaplan-Meier estimates of primary patency were noted for DES and DCB, respectively, and these decreased to 54% and 38% through 36 months, respectively. At 12 months, the estimated freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization was > 90%, which dropped to around 70% at 36 months in both groups. Overall, comparable effectiveness and safety of DES vs DCB plus bailout stenting in femoropopliteal interventions was reflected by patency rates at 12 months. Up to 36 months, a trend in favor of the DES was observed.