[Microsurgical approach to the foot arteries in diabetic patients with vascular complications]

This study was made in order to assess the percentage of patients who underwent a by-pass (by saphenous vein) "in situ" on the foot arteries, as an alternative to the amputation for cases of severe ischaemia on the foot. The medium and short-term survival associated to the revascularized limb was also analyzed. Sixteen patients underwent this surgical procedure, 8 of them (50%) lost their limb within the following seven days to the revascularization; one patient lost their limb at the first year and 43.7% of patients maintain the viability of their limbs 3 years latter. This surgical procedure was made by microsurgery using a Carl Zeica amplification optic lens 2,3 X and a OFMI microscope with an amplification lens 40 X.