title: Early experience of limb salvage in critical leg ischaemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report the retrospective review of 82 leg bypass grafts done in 79 patients who had critical leg ischaemia between May 1993 and November 1996. The mean age of the patients was 68 years (range 50 to 82).
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 49 male and 35 female patients. Fifty-nine percent of the study population presented with gangrene, 33% had ischaemic ulceration and 58% had rest pain. Seventy-five percent of them were diabetics. Thirty-eight femoro-popliteal, 28 femoro-distal, 6 popliteal-distal, 5 pedal, 1 aorto-bifemoral, 3 axillo-bifemoral and 1 cross-over bypass grafts were done.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The peri-operative mortality rate was 11.3% and 71% of patients were discharged with salvaged feet. Ninety percent of these legs were still viable 12 months after the operation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Teoh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000637:transplantation; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome