Patients Residing Afar From Tertiary Care Center Are More Likely to Receive Lower Extremity Revascularization for Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia: A Relationship Between the Distance From Hospital and Clinical Severity of Peripheral Arterial Disease

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the association between the proximity to the hospital and the severity of peripheral arterial disease at the time of infrainguinal lower extremity bypass (LEB) in a rural-urban mixed region. Medical records of patients undergoing LEB from 2010 to 2020 at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center were reviewed and stratified into two study groups based on the median distance of their residence from the hospital (group I: ≥34 miles and group II: <34 miles). Patients’ demographic features, preoperative data including comorbidities, the severity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and medications were analyzed. Univariate analysis for the patient characteristics between the two study groups, evaluation of postoperative outcomes, and multivariate predictive modeling to study the PAD stage as the indication of LEB were performed. A P value of <.05 was set as a significant difference between the groups for all the analyses. A total of 351 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. There were 175 (49.9%) patients in group I and 176 (50.1%) patients in group II, with a mean age of 65 ± 11.92 years (median: 64.61 years). No significant difference was observed in gender (P = .530), age (P = .906), and functional status (P = .830) between the study groups. It was observed that patients in group I were more overweight or obese (71.3% vs 57%, P = .007) and had a prior history of myocardial infarction (24.3% vs 15.3%, P = .036) compared with those in group II. No postoperative outcomes were found to be statistically different between the study groups. The multivariate analyses based on various confounders displayed that patients in group I were less likely to be treated for life-limiting claudication (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.36 [0.20-0.65]; P = .001) and had a 56% higher likelihood of LEB for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (AOR: 1.56 [0.92-2.62]; P = .042). Group I patients also had five times higher odds of LEB for acute limb ischemia (AOR: 5.07 [1.42-18.13]; P = .012). The Fig shows the distribution of patients by indication of LEB and patient’s residence in a zip code. Patient proximity to a major tertiary hospital may have implications for the disease progression of patients with PAD. It could be related to inadequate vascular services in primary and secondary hospitals. The lack of preventive care and disease management in regions afar from a tertiary hospital could be other factors. This highlights the need for vascular surgery outreach programs and the distribution of vascular specialists to reduce geographical disparities and ensure equity in access to care.