Abstract
Background: The femoropopliteal bypass occlusion in patients with critical limb ischemia and chronic total occlusion of the native superficial femoral artery remains a significant problem, that hardly challenges vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists. Performing a secondary femoropopliteal bypass is still considered the standard of care, although it is associated with a higher complication rate and lower patency rate in comparison with primary bypass. Advanced age, lack of a good great saphenous vein, anastomosis’ pseudoaneurysms and high surgical risks make surgical approach not always suitable. Over the past few years, angioplasty has been commonly used, with the development in endovascular technologies, to treat chronic total occlusions of the native SFA, with a good technical success rate and clinical prognosis. Hence, the idea to recanalize the native SFA chronic total occlusions, in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) and femoro-popliteal bypass failure, has been born, limited to those patients unfit for surgery or refusing surgical reconstruction. Data regarding long-term outcomes of this approach in femoro-popliteal bypass failure are limited to few case-series studies.Results: Technical success was achieved in 51 (94.4%) of 54 limbs. Angiographically, 77.8% of the lesions were TASC II category D, while 22.2% TASC II category C. The average length of the native SFA lesions was 26.8 cm. Clinical success, with improved Rutherford classification staging, followed each case of technical success. The median follow-up value was 5.75 years (IQR, 1.5 – 7). By Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, primary patency rates were 61% (±0.07 SE) at 1 year and 46% (±0.07 SE) at 5 years. Secondary patency rates were 93% (±0.04 SE) at 1 year and 61% (±0.07 SE) at 5 years. Limb salvage rates were 94% (±0.03 SE) at 1 year and 88% (±0.05 SE) at 5 years.Conclusions: The endovascular recanalization of chronic total occlusions (CTO) of the native superficial femoral artery (SFA) after failed femoropopliteal bypass is a safe and effective therapeutic option in patients unfit for surgery with critical limb ischemia.
Recanalization of native superficial femoral artery chronic total occlusion after failed femoropopliteal bypass in patients with critical limb ischemia
