title: Five-year retrograde transpopliteal angioplasty results compared with antegrade angioplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Retrograde transpopliteal angioplasty (PA) is a potentially useful alternative technique for endovascular treatment of infra-inguinal arterial disease when antegrade transfemoral puncture (FA) is technically not possible or appropriate. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of PA compared with FA during a 5-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed to assess 88 PA and 275 FA performed between January 2003 and January 2008. Assessments of patients, indication for procedure, disease site, stenosis severity, procedure outcomes and time to further intervention were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FA was used to treat more patients with critical ischaemia (42.2% vs 30.7%; P = 0.014)). PA was used to treat more proximal superficial femoral lesions (P < 0.001) and occlusive lesions (P = 0.001). Overall, 84.1% of PA and 82.5 % of FA were technically successful. There was no difference in local puncture site complication rates. Significantly more FA resulted in distal thrombus/embolism (8.4% vs 3.4%; P = 0.044). Further intervention was required in 27.3% of PA and 36.0% of FA. The time interval to re-intervention was not different between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PA is safe with comparable success rates and long-term outcomes to an FA. PA is a useful alternative approach for treating occlusive, proximal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: E Ph
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Torrie
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Galland
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Magee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D016896:Treatment Outcome