PURPOSE: A prospective study was performed to assess the frequency and timing of complications after transluminal angioplasty and stent placement with a view to changing our practice and performing these procedures on an outpatient basis. METHOD: A total of 266 angioplasties and 51 stent deployments were attempted on 240 consecutive patients. Immediate complications were documented by the radiologists. The timing and nature of any complications during and beyond the first 24 hr were reported by the vascular surgeons. RESULTS: There were 14 complications in 240 patients, giving a complication rate of 4.8% per vessel segment dilated. There were five major and nine minor complications. Eighty-six percent of complications were evident before the patient had left the angiography suite. All complications were evident within 4.5 hr of the procedure. CONCLUSION: The timing of complications suggests it would be reasonable to perform percutaneous transluminal angioplasties and iliac stenting on an outpatient basis in suitable patients.