Comparative evaluation of the endovascular and surgical revascularization effectiveness for acute limb ischemia

Abstract

The aim — to do comparative evaluation of the endovascular and surgical revascularization effectiveness in patients with acute limb ischemia, caused by thrombosis and embolism of lower limb arteries.Materials and methods. The study was performed based on a retrospective analysis of the results of treatment of 215 patients with acute limb ischemia caused by acute emboli and thrombosis of lower limb arteries or bypases. The main group included 108 patients who underwent endovascular interventions (intra‑arterial catheter‑directeded thrombolysis was performed in 72 % of patients, and endovascular thrombectomy was performed in 28 % of patients), the comparison group included 107 patients were performed surgical operations of thromboembolectomy or bypases for the purpose of revascularization.Results and discussion. In order to determine how the degree of ischemia affects technical success of endovascular and surgical interventions in patients with acute limb ischemia, patients were stratified according to severity of ischemia. The technical success of revascularization in patients with 1 or 2A degrees of ischemia was not significantly different between groups. In patients of the surgical group with ischemia 2B, the technical success rate of revascularization was significantly higher compared with endovascular, 83.6 % versus 71.9 % (p < 0.05). The number of amputations in endovascular and surgical groups was not significantly different, 16.7 %, and 18.7 % (p > 0.05).Conclusions. The severity of limb ischemia is the main factor that determines the results of treatment of acute limb ischemia, both with endovascular and surgical methods of revascularization. Patients with severe grade 2B ischemia require emergency restoration of blood circulation in the ischemic limb and surgical methods are the most appropriate treatment. In patients with moderately severe 1 and 2A ischemia, both surgical and endovascular revascularization methods can be effectively used.