Outcome of unreconstructed chronic critical leg ischaemia.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the outcome of unreconstructed chronic critical leg ischaemia with a special reference to the definition of CLI.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A retrospective study with 1 year follow-up in an academic referral center (Fourth Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital).

MATERIAL

105 consecutive unreconstructed patients with 136 critically ischaemic legs as defined by the European Consensus Document on Chronic Critical Leg Ischaemia.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Major amputations and mortality.

RESULTS

81% of the 136 critically ischaemic legs survival 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, respectively, whereas survival of patients with nonamputated leg was only 71%, 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.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the selection of the present material is likely to cause some bias, unreconstructed CLI seemed to predict a very poor outcome in terms of survival and limb salvage.