One year clinical outcomes of Rutherford 6 chronic limb threatening ischemia patients undergoing lower limb...

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is widely used as a first-line revascularisation option in patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI). This study aimed to evaluate the short-term endovascular revascularisation treatment outcomes of a cohort of Rutherford 6 (R6) CLTI patients, from a multi-ethnic Asian population in Singapore. Patients with R6 CLTI who underwent endovascular revascularisation from June 2019 to February 2020 at Singapore General Hospital, a tertiary vascular centre in Singapore, were included and followed up for one year. Primary outcome measures included number and type of reinterventions required, 3-, 6- and 12-month mortality, 6- and 12-month amputation free survival (AFS), wound healing success and changes in Rutherford staging after 3, 6 and 12 months.

Two hundred fifty-five procedures were performed on 86 patients, of whom 78 (90.7%) were diabetics, 54 (62.8%) had coronary artery disease (CAD) and 54 (62.8%) had chronic kidney disease (CKD). 42 patients (48.8%) required reintervention within 6 months. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of CAD was a significant independent predictor for reintervention. Mortality was 15.1%, 20.9% and 33.7% at 3, 6 and 12 months respectively. AFS was 64.0% and 49.4% at 6 and 12 months. Inability to ambulate, congestive heart failure (CHF), dysrhythmia and CKD were significant independent predictors of lower 12-month AFS.

PTA for R6 CLTI patients was associated with relatively high mortality and reintervention rates at one year. CAD was an independent predictor of reintervention. More research is required to help risk stratify which CLTI patients would benefit from an endovascular-first approach versus conservative treatment or an immediate major lower extremity amputation policy.