Early experience of limb salvage in critical leg ischaemia

We report the retrospective review of 82 leg bypass grafts done in 79 patients who had critical leg ischaemia between May 1993 and November 1996. The mean age of the patients was 68 years (range 50 to 82).

There were 49 male and 35 female patients. Fifty-nine percent of the study population presented with gangrene, 33% had ischaemic ulceration and 58% had rest pain. Seventy-five percent of them were diabetics. Thirty-eight femoro-popliteal, 28 femoro-distal, 6 popliteal-distal, 5 pedal, 1 aorto-bifemoral, 3 axillo-bifemoral and 1 cross-over bypass grafts were done.

The peri-operative mortality rate was 11.3% and 71% of patients were discharged with salvaged feet. Ninety percent of these legs were still viable 12 months after the operation.