Indications and role of isolated profundaplasty in patients affected by limb ischemia.

The deep femoral artery is the primary source of blood supply to the lower extremity in presence of superficial and/or popliteal occlusion. The atherosclerotic involvement of the profunda femoris artery is relatively less frequent and generally is localized in the initial segment of the artery. The profundaplasty employed to relieve limb threatening ischemia is infrequently used as an isolated procedure. However many authors demonstrated that restoration of flow through this vessel alone, in patients without significative lesions of the aorto-femoral district, will effectively relieve ischemia when the superficial femoral artery is also occluded. Our experience gained in the last eight years concerns 24 patients (21 male, 3 female). All the patients had severe ischemia of the lower limb with invalidating claudication (13), rest pain (9) and gangrene (2). On the basis of our results, we think that the operation is recommended, whenever possible, in patients with critical ischemia when the possibilities of more extensive revascularizing procedures are absent.