Early duplex scanning after infrainguinal endovascular therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Duplex ultrasound scanning (DUS) has benefit for intraoperative and subsequent evaluation of surgical bypasses in the lower extremities. The utility of DUS after endovascular revascularizations is not established. This study was performed to evaluate whether DUS findings after infrainguinal endovascular interventions for critical limb ischemia (CLI) were predictive of need for reintervention or amputation.


METHODS
To identify the study cohort, peripheral interventions for CLI (Rutherford grades 4, 5, 6) over a 24-month period (2006-2007) were reviewed. DUS findings were considered indicative of hemodynamic stenosis if the peak systolic velocity (PSV) was ≥ 180 cm/s or the PSV velocity ratio was ≥ 2.0. Demographic, clinical, procedural, and outcomes were examined. SVS and TASC II classifications and reporting standards were used. Arteriograms were reviewed and treated segments were categorized as patent (<30% residual stenosis) or abnormal (≥ 30% residual stenosis).


RESULTS
There were 122 infrainguinal interventions for CLI in 113 patients (53% male; mean age 71 years). Risk factors included diabetes: 61%; renal failure: 20%; and smoking (within 1 year): 40%. DUS was performed within 30 days of the index procedure in 90 cases. Fifty patients had an abnormal early duplex and 40 patients had a normal duplex. In patients with a normal duplex ultrasound the amputation rate was 5% vs 20% in the group with an abnormal duplex (P = .04). Primary patency was 56% in the normal duplex group and 46% in the abnormal duplex group (P = .18). Early duplex ultrasound was able to identify a residual stenosis not seen on completion angiography in 56% of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Duplex scanning detects residual stenosis missed with conventional angiography after infrainguinal interventions. An abnormal DUS in the first 30 days after an intervention is associated with an increased risk of amputation. This suggests a possible role for intraprocedural DUS, as well as routine postprocedure DUS, close clinical follow-up, and consideration of reintervention for residual abnormalities in patients treated for CLI.
Humphries
Misty D
MD
University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
Pevec
William C
WC
Laird
John R
JR
Yeo
Khung Keong
KK
Hedayati
Nasim
N
Dawson
David L
DL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002140:California; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D016638:Critical Illness; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D014654:Vascular Patency