Subintimal angioplasty of tibial vessel occlusions in the treatment of critical limb ischaemia: mid-term results.

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary results at 1 year of subintimal angioplasty of tibial occlusions in critical limb ischaemia (CLI).

MATERIAL: from December 1997 to December 1999, we intended to treat 36 patients and 40 limbs by subintimal angioplasty of occlusions of tibial vessels. Thirty-one had gangrene or ulceration and nine had rest pain. Twenty-seven occlusions were more than 10 cm, 10 were 5 to 10 cm and three were less than 5 cm in length. Three patients had an occluded previous ipsilateral bypass graft. All patients were followed 3 monthly for a median of 10 months by means of clinical and duplex examination.

RESULTS: the technical success rate was 78% (31/40). Nine technical failures were treated by conventional surgery or angioplasty of another diseased tibial vessel. The clinical success rate was 68% (27/40). Four below-the-knee amputations were performed despite a patent recanalisation. Primary and secondary patency rates at 12 months were 56% (72% without technical failures). The 12-month limb salvage rate was 81% and survival rate was 78%. Three of five complications were treated by endovascular procedures. The length of occlusion (>10 cm) but not the location of distal re-entry, the type of vessel re-entry and the presence of diabetes are predictors of technical success and patency.

CONCLUSIONS: subintimal angioplasty can be used to treat tibial occlusions in patients with CLI. Technical failure does not preclude conventional surgery and complications may often be treated by endovascular procedures. However, the durability of angioplasty is as yet uncertain.