title: Infrapopliteal bypass reduces amputation incidence in elderly patients: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between the incidences of infrapopliteal bypass for critical limb ischaemia (CLI) and major amputation in Finns aged >or=70 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients undergoing infrapopliteal bypass or major amputation for CLI during 1997 were retrospectively analysed. The incidence of major amputation in a group of hospitals performing infrapopliteal bypass "actively" was compared to that in a group performing such surgery "passively".
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of major amputations in the active (978 bypasses per million inhabitants) and passive (57 per million) groups was 1976 and 3177 per million, respectively (p = 0.016). There was a significant (p = 0.012) inverse relationship between the incidence of the two procedures in patients aged >or=80, but not <80 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that infrapopliteal bypass is effective in reducing the requirement for major amputation in patients aged >or=80 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland and Cardiovascular Unit, Surgical Department, Vaasa Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eskelinen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luther
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eskelinen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lepäntalo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000601:surgery*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures