A systematic review of the ipsilateral retrograde approach to the treatment of femoropopliteal arterial lesions.

OBJECTIVE

The endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal lesions is an integral part of managing peripheral arterial disease. The antegrade approach is the most widely used technique with good evidence for its safety and efficacy. However, crossing a lesion, particularly chronic total occlusions (CTO), can be technically challenging and so the retrograde approach is increasingly used to maximize the chances of procedural success. The objective of this systematic review was, therefore, to assess the safety and effectiveness of the ipsilateral retrograde approach to femoropopliteal lesions.

METHODS

A systematic review conforming to the PRISMA standards was undertaken. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Register were searched between January 1, 1988, and January 1, 2020. Full-text, English-language, peer-reviewed articles pertaining to peripheral arterial disease, endovascular intervention and access site were included.

RESULTS

A total of 8599 articles were screened, of which 38, involving 1940 patients undergoing 2184 retrograde procedures, were included. The mean number of patients per study was 51.1, with three studies including fewer than 10 and four more than 100 patients. The reported follow-up ranged from 30 days to 3 years, and six articles did not report any long-term outcome data. A retrograde approach was used as the primary access route in 45.% of procedures (648/1438) with relevant data. Primary technical success was achieved in 88% (1920/2184; 64%-100%) with a reported complication rate of 11% (235/2117; 0%-27%). Overall, the quality of evidence was poor, with just seven articles deemed to be of high quality with a low risk of bias. A meta-analysis was not deemed appropriate owing to heterogeneity of data.

CONCLUSIONS

An ipsilateral retrograde approach to femoropopliteal lesions has good primary technical success and a low rate of complications. It has a promising role as a bailout, or even a primary access technique, in complex lesions. Patient positioning, puncture site and technique, lesion anatomy, and the size of catheters and devices used are important considerations to achieve the best outcomes. There remains a paucity of robust evidence for its superiority over traditional antegrade approaches, and further work is required to identify the optimal technique and those patients who would benefit most from the approach.