Subintimal angioplasty as the first-choice revascularization technique for infrainguinal arterial occlusions in patients with critical limb ischemia

Our aim was to appraise the feasibility and outcomes of subintimal angioplasty (SA) for the percutaneous revascularization of infrainguinal arterial occlusions in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). We retrospectively assessed 117 SA procedures in 109 limbs with complete infrainguinal occlusions from 105 patients with CLI. Among these, the superficial femoral artery (SFA) was the only occluded vessel in 27 limbs, while infrapopliteal (IP) occlusions occurred in 82. Average clinical follow-up was 13.5 months (range 1-37). Outcomes were assessed according to the site of SA (SFA vs. IP) and the length of the occlusion (< vs. > or =10 cm). Univariate analyses for the rate of limb salvage and patient survival according to the Kaplan-Meier method were performed. SA-based revascularization had a success rate of 84.4% per limb (89% in SFA and 83% in IP occlusions). During follow-up 12 patients (11.3%) underwent major limb amputation, 11 (10.3%) underwent bypass surgery, and 14 (13.7%) died. Most amputations occurred in patients in whom SA had been unsuccessful and were associated with long (> or =10 cm) occlusions (p = 0.055). Clinical restenosis occurred in seven (6.6%) patients. Survival analysis showed at 6, 12, and 24 months limb salvage rates of 90%, 87%, and 85% and overall survival rates of 90%, 88%, and 83%, respectively. Complications of SA were uncommon (4.7%) and all were successfully managed percutaneously. Infrainguinal SA is an effective revascularization technique that provides a high likelihood of limb salvage and should be the first-choice strategy in the management of patients with CLI.