Subintimal angioplasty in femoropopliteal region-Mid-term results

Abstract

Purpose: Subintimal angioplasty is becoming more frequently used treatment option for patients with long arterial occlusions or diffuse atherosclerotic changes as an alternative to surgical treatment in claudicants especially in patients with critical limb ischemia. The aim of our article is to retrospectively assess mid-term outcomes of subintimal angioplasty of chronic arterial occlusions in femoropopliteal region followed clinically and by Doppler ultrasonography.

Materials and methods: From May 2002 to December 2007, 133 femoropopliteal artery occlusions in 123 patients were indicated for subintimal recanalisation. The indications for treatment were intermittent claudications in 84 patients (63.15%) and critical limb ischemia in 49 patients (36.85%). The median length of lesions was 11.4 cm, range 2-30 cm. Except doppler ultrasonographic examination done 24h after the procedure and clinical examination before discharge, both clinical and ultrasonographic examinations were performed 6 and 12 months after the procedure and yearly thereafter. Statistical analysis of our cohort was performed by Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank test and Cox regression.

Results: Technical success was achieved in 86.46%. Primary patency rate was 83.1% (SE: 3.9%), 67.5% (SE: 5%), 58% (SE: 5.9%) a 48.4% (SE: 7.1%) at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months respectively. No statistically significant difference of primary patency was found between the group of claudicants and the group of patient with critical limb ischemia. Statistically significant prediction factors for primary patency were only the quality of the run off and the length of the occlusion. Limb salvage rate in our group of patients with critical limb ischemia was 80.8% at 12 months.

Conclusion: : Subintimal recanalisation is a simple and safe procedure for treatment of chronic peripheral arterial occlusions with high primary technical success rate, acceptable primary patency rate, low percentage of complications and mortality is as low as nil. Subintimal angioplasty is definitely advantageous and fast method in patients with critical limb ischemia with high possibility of limb salvage. Surgical treatment can be replaced by subintimal angioplasty in claudicants with high risk of operative treatment, without suitable autologous vein graft or where distal femoropopliteal or femorocrural bypass is needed.