Lower extremity revascularization in diabetes - Late observations

Hypothesis: Despite the success of infrainguinal arterial bypass in diabeti c limb and foot salvage, optimism remains guarded because of purported high late mortality and limb loss in patients with diabetes. Design: Inception cohort, with minimum 5-year follow-up Setting: Tertiary referral center. Patients: Eight hundred forty-three consecutive patients undergoing lower e xtremity arterial reconstruction from July i, 1990, through July 31, 1993. Intervention: Infrainguinal arterial bypass with vein graft. Main Outcome Measures: Graft patency, limb salvage, and survival. Results: A total of 962 vein grafts (843 patients) were performed; 795 graf ts (82.6%) were performed in patients with diabetes (DM group) and 167 (17. 4%) in nondiabetic patients (NDM group). Average age was 68.4 years, and wa s lower in the DM group, (66.2 [range, 27-92 years] vs 70.5 years [range, 3 7-96 years]) (P = .005). In-hospital 30-day perioperative mortality was 1.4 %, lower in the DM group (0.9% vs 4.2%) (P = .005). The target vessel was m ore frequently infrageniculate in the DM group (87% vs 77% P = .002). Five- year primary and secondary graft patencies were 74.7%; (DM group, 75.6%;1; NDM group, 71.9%; P = .80) and 76.2%;1 (DM group, 77.0%: NDM group, 73.6%; P = .90), respectively. The 5-year overall limb salvage rate was 87.1%, als o unaffected by diabetes (DM group, 87.3%; NDM group, 85.4%; P = .80). Surv ival at 5 years was 58.1% overall and virtually, identical in the DM (58.2% ) and NDM groups Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus does not influence late mortality, graft pat ency, or limb salvage races after lower extremity arterial reconstruction. Concern for longterm mortality and limb loss in diabetic patients is unwarr anted and should not prevent aggressive attempts at limb salvage.