Endovascular interventions for limb salvage

Although operative bypass is still considered the "gold stan- dard" for treating peripheral arterial disease, over the last decade en- dovascular interventions have become more popular and now represent the vast majority of peripheral arterial treatments being performed. Open bypass is associated with an unacceptable morbidity and mor- tality that is not encountered to the same extent with endovascular techniques. However, outcomes of endovascular intervention are de- pendent upon the location and nature of the lesion, as well as possibly the technologies available to treat the lesion and the experience of the interventionalist. In correctly selected patients, endovascular tech- niques should be the primary management employed for critical limb ischemia. The group of patients that would benefit from endovascular techniques continues to expand with new data constantly emerging. This article will review the current endovascular techniques currently being employed, focusing on the indication for specific intervention. .