Infrapopliteal percutaneous transluminal angioplasty: a safe and successful procedure

To review outcome of 40 consecutive infrapopliteal percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) procedures performed over a 65 month period.

The indication for PTA was intermittent claudication in 20 (50%) cases and rest pain, ulceration or gangrene in the remainder.

There was one technical failure; the remaining 39 limbs were all clinically improved by 24 h and this improvement was maintained at 3 months in 36 (90%). There were no deaths nor limb loss related to PTA and 2 embolic complications were successfully treated percutaneously. The primary and secondary symptomatic patencies at 24 months were 59 and 79% respectively. The actuarial limb salvage rate at 1 year for the 20 limbs presenting with critical ischaemia was 77%, and 10 of the 14 procedures performed for ulceration or gangrene resulted in healing with only minor surgical intervention.

With modern endovascular techniques, infrapopliteal PTA is a safe, worthwhile and durable procedure.