Preoperative Depression is Associated with Worse Outcomes after The Lower Extremity Revascularization

This retrospective study sought to describe the association between preoperative diagnosis of depression and major adverse events after infrainguinal bypass surgery or peripheral vascular intervention (PVI).

We retrospectively analyzed a consecutive series of all patients undergoing PVI and/or infrainguinal bypass surgery at a single tertiary institution between 2010 and 2019. Propensity matching and Cox regression analysis were conducted to examine the impact of comorbid depression on the incidence of major adverse events (MAEs), defined as re-intervention, major amputation, or death, within 2 years of surgery.

Of all patients (n = 512) undergoing intervention at our institution, 166 (32.4%) suffered an MAE and 169 (33.0%) patients had a preoperative diagnosis of depression. After propensity score matching, univariate (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.7) and multivariable hazard analyses (aHR, 1.50; [1.1-2.2]) demonstrate that there is a statistically significant relationship between the diagnosis of depression and increased MAE.

Over one-third of our lower extremity revascularization patients were noted to have a preoperative diagnosis of depression. After intervention, these patients had worse outcomes compared to patients without depression; this finding was more evident in patients who underwent PVI mainly due to high overall mortality rate. Prospective studies are necessary to better understand this association and to ascertain if early intervention can improve post-procedure vascular outcomes.