A reliable approach to diabetic neuroischemic foot wounds: below-the-knee angiosome-oriented angioplasty.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical benefit in wound healing and limb preservation after primary below-the-knee angioplasty guided by an angiosome model of perfusion in diabetic patients with neuroischemic foot ulcers.

Methods: From September 2001 to April 2010, 232 limb-threatening neuroischemic wounds in 208 diabetic patients (147 men; mean age 74.3 years, range 42-97) were treated by below-the-knee endoluminal and/or subintimal angioplasty.

Deep calf veins arterialization for inferior limb preservation in diabetic patients with extended ischaemic wounds, unfit for direct arterial reconstruction: preliminary results according to an angiosome model of perfusion.

Aim Of The Study: The study proposes to evaluate the limb salvage in diabetic ischemic limbs with foot wounds, where all types of common arterial reconstructions have previously failed or were impracticable, by using the "SAVES" technique (selective arterio-venous endoluminal switch) for deep calf veins arterialization upon an angiosomes model of distribution.

Materials And Methods: Since January 2001 until September 2009, a series of 26 limbs with threatening ischemic wounds in 25 diabetic patients at high risk for major amputation and no feasible conventional revascularizations, were treated by the hybrid (surgical and endovascular) SAVES technique and were retrospectively reviewed. The method consists in selective arterialization of the deep calf veins with synchronous endoluminal exclusion of the collaterals, guided by an angiosomes- model of vascularization.