Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for critical limb ischaemia in octogenarians and nonagenarians.

Objective: To determine the early and late outcome of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for critical limb ischaemia (CLI) in patients aged 80 years and over.

Methods: Retrospective case note review of all patients aged 80 years and over who underwent attempted PTA for CLI between 1st January 1999 and 31st December 2000. Minimum follow-up was 12 months with a maximum of 42 months.

Results: One hundred and twenty-eight PTAs were attempted in 113 severely ischaemic limbs of 98 patients (36 men and 62 women of median age 84, range 80-97, years). Seventy patients had significant co-morbidity. The indication for revascularisation was rest pain in 47 procedures, ulceration in 66 and digital gangrene in 15. The anatomical segments involved were iliac (n=19), superficial femoral (n=92), popliteal (n=91) and infrapopliteal (n=72). The technical success rate was 108 of 128 (84%) procedures. Early technical complications occurred in 24 (19%) procedures: four major, 20 minor. The 30-day operative mortality rate was six of 128 (5%). The median (range) in-hospital stay was two (1-72) days. Early or delayed surgical revascularisation was required in 11 limbs and there were six major limb amputations during the study period. The 24-month patient survival rate was 59%. The 24-month primary and secondary symptomatic patency and secondary limb salvage rates were 52, 69 and 95%, respectively.

Discussion: PTA is safe, requires a short hospital stay, and is clinically effective in the majority of very elderly patients with CLI. Although minimally invasive, the relatively high peri-procedural mortality rate and low 24-month survival rate reflect the high co-morbidity of this group of patients.