title: Outcomes and Influence of the Pedal Arch in Below-the-Knee Angioplasty in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease and Critical Limb Ischemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Management of dialysis patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) still represents a challenge to vascular medicine, whereas the effects of the pedal arch quality in these patients with predominant affection of the infrapopliteal vessels have rarely been evaluated. Therefore, our aim was to analyze the outcomes of infrapopliteal angioplasty in the setting of chronic renal failure (end-stage renal disease) and evaluate the influence of the pedal arch involvement on clinical success.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective follow-up of 32 ERSD patients on hemodialysis (mean age, 72 years) with CLI and consecutive infrapopliteal angioplasty over a 5-year period 2010-2014 was performed. Mean follow-up was 10 months (range, 0-51 months). Statistical end points were defined for amputation-free survival, overall survival, and wound healing. Each patient's pedal arch was classified in 4 categories according to patency on completion angiography and the influence of the pedal arch quality on end points was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 44 vessels in 32 ischemic legs were treated. Technical success was achieved in 96% of patients, no major complications were observed. A 30-day mortality rate amounted 6% with no procedure-related deaths. The 1-year amputation-free survival rate was 56% and 34% at 2 years. Two major amputations were required. Subsequent revascularization procedures were necessary in 11 patients (10 redo angioplasty, 1 pedal bypass graft). The pedal arch was classified as category I in 1 patient (3%), category IIa in 12 (38%), IIb in 3 (9%), and III in 16 patients (50%). No statistical significant differences in terms of survival or wound-healing rate were observed between those groups, and the pedal arch quality had no impact on predefined end points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  End-stage renal disease patients represent a subgroup with poor prognosis of limb salvage in CLI. Amputation-free survival remains poor and based on these data, an endovascular therapy is feasible and safe in these highly multimorbid patients. The quality of the pedal arch was not found to have any impact on wound healing or survival in the present study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schinz
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Regus
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany. Electronic address: ulrich.rother@uk-erlangen.de.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rother
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016638:Critical Illness; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D023821:Limb Salvage; D008297:Male; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D019233:Retreatment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency