Infrapopliteal Endovascular Interventions for Claudication Are Associated With Poor Long-term Outcomes in...

To evaluate the association of infrapopliteal peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) with long-term outcomes compared with isolated femoropopliteal PVI for the treatment of claudication.

There are limited data supporting or opposing the use of infrapopliteal PVIs for the treatment of claudication.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients in the Medicare-matched Vascular Quality Initiative database who underwent an index infrainguinal PVI for claudication from January 2004 to December 2019 using Cox proportional hazards models.

Of 14,261 patients (39.9% females; 85.6% age ≥65 years, 87.7% non-Hispanic White) who underwent an index infrainguinal PVI for claudication, 16.6% (N = 2369) received an infrapopliteal PVI. The median follow-up after index PVI was 3.7 years (interquartile range: 2.1-6.1). Compared with patients who underwent isolated femoropopliteal PVI, patients receiving any infrapopliteal PVI had a higher 3-year cumulative incidence of conversion to chronic limb-threatening ischemia (33.3% vs 23.8%; P < 0.001), repeat PVI (41.0% vs 38.2%; P < 0.01), and amputation (8.1% vs 2.8%; P < 0.001). After risk adjustment, patients undergoing infrapopliteal PVI had a higher risk of conversion to chronic limb-threatening ischemia [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 1.39, 95% CI: 1.25-1.53], repeat PVI (aHR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.19), and amputation (aHR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.77-2.67). Findings were consistent after adjusting for competing risk of death, in a 1:1 propensity-matched analysis, and in subgroup analyses stratified by TASC disease, diabetes, and end-stage kidney disease.

Infrapopliteal PVI is associated with worse long-term outcomes than femoropopliteal PVI for claudication. These risks should be discussed with patients.