Long-term mortality after invasive diagnostic and endovascular revascularization in PAD patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the long-term, all-cause mortality among PAD patients hospitalized for invasive diagnostics and/or endovascular revascularization (ER) and the applied secondary prevention management.

Methods: From 2005 to 2009, at our center 582 consecutive patients underwent invasive peripheral angiography in part in combination with coronary angiography and/or ER. Patients were classified according to their Fontaine stage into 3 subgroups: Fontaine I/IIa, Fontaine IIb, and Fontaine stages III and IV (which were classified as critical limb ischemia, CLI).