Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of crural arteries: diabetes and other factors influencing outcome.
OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the crural arteries.


METHODS
a retrospective review of patients treated with PTA of at least one crural artery during an 8-year period (1990--1997).


RESULTS
one hundred and fifty-five legs in 140 consecutive patients (mean age 74 years, range 38--91 years) were treated. In 76% a more proximal lesion was also treated. After 1 year, results were significantly better in non-diabetics (improvement rate of 66% vs 32%p <0.05). The outcome for patients with a combination of diabetes, heart disease and renal disease was significantly worse compared to all other patients with an improvement rate of only 9% after 1 year. Patients alive and not amputated at 1 year were significantly more common (p <0.05) among non-diabetics (90%), compared to diabetics (66%). The 1-year mortality for the whole group was 15%, significantly higher for diabetic patients (p =0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
PTA of crural arteries produces reasonably good results in non-diabetic patients. Diabetic patients were doing worse than non-diabetics after a year, though 1-month results were not significantly different. Patients with diabetes, heart disease and renal disease make a high-risk group that has a significantly worse outcome.
Danielsson
G
G
Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Albrechtsson
U
U
Norgren
L
L
Danielsson
P
P
Ribbe
E
E
Thörne
J
J
Zdanowski
Z
Z
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome