title: Angioplasty for treatment of isolated below-the-knee arterial stenosis in patients with critical limb ischemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report our experience in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) due to isolated below-the-knee (BTK) arterial lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1992 and 2009, we performed 2747 peripheral angioplasties, while 2.8% (78 of 2747) were only BTK and were included in the present study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 70.2 ± 11 years, 58.4% had diabetic, 85.7% were smokers, and 20.8% had chronic renal failure. Baseline Rutherford class: 50 patients with class IV and 27 with class V to VI. Angiographic and clinical success were 97.4% and 90.91%, respectively. At 30 days, there were no deaths, 2 patients had acute vessel closure and 2 major amputation. At long-term follow-up (22.4 ± 9.6 months), there were 7 unrelated deaths (10%), 5 amputations (7.1%), 3 reinterventions (4.2%), while 16 patients remained symptomatic. Overall amputation and amputation plus claudication-free survival were 90% and 70%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endovascular treatment of BTK lesions represents a safe and effective treatment option to patients with CLI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Cardiology, University Hospital, Favaloro Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina. omendiz@ffavaloro.org
authors.forename: Oscar A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Mendiz
authors.forename: Carlos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Fava
authors.forename: León R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Valdivieso
authors.forename: Gustavo A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lev
authors.forename: Lorena G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Villagra
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017130:Angioplasty; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome