Mid-Term Limb Salvage Following Plain Balloon Angioplasty for Severe Limb Ischaemia due to Infra-Popliteal Disease: A Comparison of the Basil Trial (1999-2004) with a Contemporary Series (2009-2013)

Abstract

Introduction - Despite the only available level 1 evidence (from the UK NIHR HTA- funded BASIL-1 trial, B-1) showing superior outcomes from bypass, in recent years, there has been an increasing trend towards offering endovascular revascularisation (ER) to patients with severe limb ischaemia (SLI). This is frequently justified by asserting that the results of ER are likely to be significantly better now than when B-1 patients were treated. The aim of this study is to compare midterm clinical outcomes in patients undergoing IP ER in the B-1 (1999-2004) with those observed a decade later (2009-2013) in a contemporary series (CS) from an academic tertiary vascular unit.