Management of Critical Limb Ischemia Prognostic Factors

Abstract

Introduction: Critical limb ischemia (CLI) represents the most severe form of Peripheral artery disease (PAD). Its prevalence is estimated to be between 0.5% and 2.3% of the population over 40 years old. Despite its importance, epidemiological studies on CLI remain patchy. In Morocco, few studies have been carried out on this subject, and we have no epidemiological data on the morbimortality of chronic critical ischemia of the lower limbs on a national scale. Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of critical limb ischemia and to identify the factors associated with the medium-term evolution. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all patients admitted to the vascular surgery department of the Hassan II University Hospital for the management of critical ischemia of the lower limbs, who underwent revascularization surgery between 01/01/2013 and 31/12/2019. Patients who underwent a major amputation of the affected limb and those for whom the revascularization procedure was a revision were subsequently excluded. The follow-up period was 2 years and the events of major interest were the occurrence of a major limb amputation and 30-day mortality. Results: The cohort included 232 patients with critical ischemia. The mean age was 62 years with a clear male predominance of 84.5%. The most common comorbidities were diabetes (65.8%), active smoking (42.5%), and hypertension (31.2%). The majority of patients (62%) benefited from endovascular procedures. The primary technical success was 94.1%, the major amputation rate was 19.7%, and the 30-day mortality was 4.3%. In multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with a high postoperative complication rate were preoperative hyperglycemia, concomitant ischemic heart disease, female sex, young age, and intensive care unit stay. Conclusion: Our study highlights several risk factors for the occurrence of postoperative complications of CLI. These results .....