D.A. Ratliff

Subintimal angioplasty of femoropopliteal artery occlusions: The long-term results*

The technique of subintimal angioplasty has been attempted on 200 consecutive femoropopliteal artery occlusions of median (range) length 11 (2-37) cm. The principle of the technique is to traverse the occlusion in the subintimal plane and recanalise by inflating the angioplasty balloon within the subintimal space. The technical success rate was 159/200 (80%) and was not significantly different for occlusions < 10 cm (81%, n = 73), 11-20 cm (83%, n = 63) or > 20 cm (68%, n = 23), p = 0.20. There were no deaths nor limb loss resulting from the procedure. The median (range) ankle-brachial pressure index increased from 0.61 (0.21-1.0) preangioplasty to 0.90 (0.26-1.50) postangioplasty. The actuarial haemodynamic patencies of technically successful procedures at 12 and 36 months were 71% and 58% respectively, the symptomatic patencies were 73% and 61%. A multiple regression analysis showed that smoking multiplied the risk of reocclusion by 2.70 (p < 0.001), each additional run-off vessel reduced the risk by 0.54 (p < 0.001) and the risk increased by 1.73 (p = 0.020) for every 10 cm of occlusion length. In conclusion, the technical success rate (80%) of subintimal angioplasty for femoropopliteal occlusions is unrelated to occlusion length and for all procedures, including technical failures, cumulative symptomatic and haemodynamic patencies of 46 and 48% can be achieved at 3 years. The factors influencing long-term patency were smoking, the number of calf run-off vessels and occlusion length.

A comparison of quality control methods applied to carotid endarterectomy

OBJECTIVES To compare the ability of continuous wave Doppler (CWD), B-mode ultrasound (BMU), angioscopy and transcranial Doppler (TCD) to detect technical error during carotid endarterectomy (CEA). DESIGN A prospective, comparative study in 100 consecutive patients. SETTING Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, U.K. MATERIALS Intraoperative TCD monitoring was performed using a SciMed PcDop 842 2 MHz TCD. An Olympus 2.8mm flexible angioscope was used to inspect the arterial lumen prior to restoration of bloodflow. After restoration of flow 10Mhz BMU images and 8Mhz CWD velocity spectra of carotid artery blood flow were obtained. CHIEF OUTCOME MEASURES The detection of intimal flaps, thrombus, stenoses or other errors of surgical technique likely to result in perioperative morbidity. MAIN RESULTS CWD and BMU images were technically inadequate in 9% and 24% of cases respectively and neither technique altered clinical management. Angioscopy demonstrated significant technical errors in 12 cases (four intimal flaps, thrombus in eight). TCD detected shunt malfunction in 13% of patients, emboli during dissection in 23% and early postoperative carotid artery thrombosis in three patients. CONCLUSIONS A combination of TCD monitoring and completion angioscopy provided the maximum yield in terms of diagnosing technical error and establishing the cause of perioperative morbidity.

Selection of Patients with Critical Limb Ischaemia for Femorodistal Vein Bypass

The merits of an aggressive policy of distal reconstruction have been questioned by some observers. To determine the factors affecting graft patency and mortality, we analysed 78 consecutive infragenicular femorodistal vein grafts performed in 72 patients with critical limb ischaemia. The primary, primary assisted and secondary graft patency rates at 36 months were 29, 57 and 64%, respectively. The limb salvage and patient survival rates at 36 months were 67 and 74%, respectively. Univariate analysis (log-rank test) was performed to identify factors affecting graft patency, limb salvage and mortality at 1 month (perioperative) and 1 year. Independent variables of age, sex, diabetes, presentation, level of anastomosis and vein technique (reversed or in situ) did not affect graft patency. The ankle systolic pressure did not predict graft patency but was an independent variable affecting mortality (p = 0.047), as did diabetes (p = 0.019). These results show that excellent limb salvage can be successfully achieved in severely ischaemic patients by adopting an aggressive approach to femorodistal bypass, and that age, gender and poor medical condition are not contraindications to femorodistal bypass. The difference between the primary and primary assisted patency rates in this series is dramatic and reflects the impact of a vein graft surveillance programme in preventing graft occlusion.

Infragenicular in situ vein bypass graft occlusion: a multivariate risk factor analysis.

Early postoperative thrombosis and the later development of graft stenoses are the two major causes of vein bypass graft failure. The risk factors for both these outcomes were analysed in a multivariate analysis of 82 consecutive infragenicular in situ vein grafts. Twenty-four grafts failed within 30 days but eight were successfully revised. Technical errors accounted for six of the failures. A multivariate analysis revealed graft resistance > 1.4 peripheral resistance units (odds ratio 5.8, 95% C.I. 1.6-20) as the only independent risk factor for early graft failure. Eighteen grafts (27%) developed a stenosis most commonly in the distal third of the graft (46%). Poor quality, small diameter vein was the only independent risk factor for graft stenosis (odds ratio 7, 95% C.I. 1.5-34). Composite vein grafts, where narrowed and thickened vein had been replaced, had a significantly lower stenosis rate (difference in proportions 0.41, 95% C.I. 0.1-0.8, Mann-Whitney U test).

Percutaneous angioplasty of the profunda femoris artery: a safe and effective endovascular technique.

The limb with an occluded superficial femoral artery (SFA) relies on the profunda collaterals for adequate perfusion. Frequently the profunda is also diseased exacerbating the limb ischaemia. We have used percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the profunda increasingly in recent years to treat such patients. In 28 limbs there was one technical failure, no major complications and six minor wound haematomas. A combination of SFA and profunda PTA was used in 11 patients. Ten of these became asymptomatic and one improved. In 16 patients a long SFA occlusion was unsuitable for PTA. An iliac and profunda PTA was performed in six of these, with resolution of (three) or significant improvement in (three) symptoms. Profunda PTA alone was used in the remaining 10 patients who constituted a high risk elderly group all with limb threatening or disabling ischaemia. Symptomatic improvement in seven of these enabled surgery to be avoided. A bypass procedure was performed in the three patients who failed to improve. Poor run-off (< one healthy calf vessel) was the major factor limiting the effectiveness of profunda PTA in these patients. Profunda PTA is a safe and effective procedure of particular value in high risk patients with a long SFA occlusion and at least one healthy calf vessel run-off.