Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for the ischaemic lower limb: the early Dunedin experience.
A consecutive series of 60 percutaneous transluminal angioplasties has been performed in 53 patients with severe peripheral ischaemia over a 4 year period. There were 78 lesions dilated with an initial technical success rate of 78%. Forty-eight lesions were dilated for severe claudication and 30 for rest pain or necrosis. There was a mean followup of 24 months (range 9-56) for the immediately successful angioplasties. When these were analysed according to symptomatic relief, 59% of claudicants with iliac lesions were still improved at 2 years, compared with 86% of those with femoropopliteal lesions. Amongst patients treated for rest pain or necrosis there was a 100% success rate at 2 years for iliac lesions, compared with 49% for femoropopliteal lesions. The overall success of this procedure in this high risk group is reflected by the fact that at 2 years 85% of claudicants and 72% of those with rest pain and necrosis have avoided any further procedure. This encouraging early experience confirms the place of interventional radiology in the management of peripheral vascular disease.