title: Update management below knee intervention.
abstract: The application of percutaneous techniques for the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) has gained widespread interest over the last decade. Together with the development of new endovascular tools and with an increasing operator experience, the minimal invasive percutaneous therapy became first line therapy at many institutions. Patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) due to infrapopliteal lesions are often no good candidates infra-geniculate bypass surgery (IBS), as they often present with prohibitive comorbidities, inadequate conduit, and lack of suitable distal targets for revascularization. Therefore, CLI patients due to blockage of below-the-knee (BTK) arteries are in benefit of the endovascular approach: it offers the advantages of local anesthesia, potentially reduced costs (even anticipating the need for reintervention in many patients), shorter hospital stays The current article provides an overview of the diagnosis and endovascular treatment strategies for infrapopliteal lesions in patients with CLI and gives recommendations for future infrapopliteal device technology advancements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, AZ St-Blasius, Dendermonde, Belgium. marc.bosiers@telenet.be
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bosiers
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deloose
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verbist
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peeters
mesh_terms: D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000379:methods; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000379:methods; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D023821:Limb Salvage; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods