M. Lepantalo et S. Matzke, OUTCOME OF UNRECONSTRUCTED CHRONIC CRITICAL LEG ISCHEMIA, European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery, 11(2), 1996, pp. 153-157
Objective: To assess the outcome of unreconstructed chronic critical l
eg ischemia with a special reference to the definition of CLI. Design
and Setting: A retrospective study with 1 year follow-up in an academi
c referral centre (Fourth Department of Surgery, Helsinki University C
entral Hospital). Material: 105 consecutive unreconstructed patients w
ith 136 critically ischaemic legs as defined by the European Consensus
Document on Chronic Critical Leg Ischaemia. Main outcome measures: Ma
jor amputations and mortality. Results: 81% of the 136 critically isch
nemic legs survived 1 month, 70% three months and 54% one year. Of the
105 patients 93%, 77% and 46% were alive at 1, 3 and 12 months, respe
ctively, whereas survival of patients with nonamputated leg was only 7
1%, 56% and 28%. Patients with bilateral CLI had a worse prognosis in
terms of survival and leg salvage. The leg outcome was not worsened by
the presence of diabetes nor by the distal extent of arterial changes
. Conclusion: Although the selection of the present material is likely
to cause some bins, unreconstructed CLI seemed to predict a very poor
outcome in terms of survival and limb salvage.