Lateral plantar artery bypass grafting: defining the limits of foot revascularization

We placed 20 bypass grafts to the lateral plantar artery in 18 extremities to salvage feet with wet (12) or dry (six) gangrene; 15 grafts were implanted in men (75%), and five were implanted in women (25%). The median age was 65 years. All except two patients had diabetes; eight were treated with insulin. One patient had Buerger's disease, and another had vasculitis with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. History of smoking (65%), hypertension (53%), heart disease (71%), and osteomyelitis in the foot (35%), were noted. Cultures were positive in 15 gangrenous feet, 11 with gram-negative bacilli. Four long femoroplantar bypasses were placed. Ten short grafts were placed from the popliteal artery, and six jump grafts were placed distal to a femoropopliteal or tibial bypass. Hospital stay ranged from 8 to 38 days (median 16 days), and there were two in-hospital deaths. Transmetatarsal or button toe amputations were performed in nine feet. There were two below-knee amputations, one with a patent graft, for a foot salvage rate of 89% at 2 months. In four instances the gangrenous ulcers took longer than 6 months to heal; all other wounds healed within 6 months. The primary and secondary patency rates were 85% at 1 month, and 73% at 3 months and thereafter. Four of five graft failures occurred in the two legs with repeat bypass graftings. All patients with successful revascularization are able to walk, and seven returned to work full time.