title: Mortality following operations for lower extremity peripheral arterial disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to identify risk factors associated with mortality following surgery for peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the association between levels of control of atherosclerotic risk factors and time to mortality following either lower extremity bypass surgery or lower extremity amputation using Cox proportional hazards regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 796 patients with PAD (defined by an ankle-brachial index [ABI] < 0.9), 230 (28.9%) underwent an operation for PAD (136, lower-extremity bypasses; 111, lower-extremity amputations). Participants were followed for up to six years after their diagnosis of PAD. A total of 107 (46.5% of the 230) died during the period of follow-up. Factors associated with mortality following lower extremity bypass surgery included age 70 years and older hazard ratio [HR] 1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-3.51) and of African American race (HR 1.94; 95% CI: 1.04-3.62). Renal insufficiency was significantly associated with mortality following lower extremity amputation (HR 2.19; 95% CI: 1.16-4.13).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data provide information on preoperative risk variables to consider when assessing long-term mortality in persons with PAD who are undergoing surgery for PAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. tcc@umn.edu
authors.forename: Tracie C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Jasjit S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahluwalia
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000401:mortality*; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality*