What is the approximate restenosis rate after balloon angioplasty performed without stent implantation?

• A. 25%
• B. 50%
• C. 75%
• D. 90%

Answer: (B)

Balloon angioplasty without a stent tends to leave the vessel without a lasting scaffold, so the lumen commonly narrows again due to elastic recoil and neointimal hyperplasia. This causes restenosis in about half of treated segments, typically within the first several months after the procedure. In contrast, adding a stent provides scaffolding that reduces recoil and limits this re-narrowing, which is why restenosis rates with stents are lower (though still variable depending on lesion characteristics). So the best answer is that the approximate restenosis rate after balloon angioplasty alone is about fifty percent.