Effectiveness of Angioplasty in Treatment of Diabetic Foot Patients with Infragenicular Single Stenosis or Occlusion: A Prospective Study

Background: Diabetes is linked to both microvascular and macrovascular complications, such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy (microvascular) and ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease (macrovascular), resulting in organ and tissue damage in approximately one third to one half of people with diabetes.
Objectives: The aim of the current work was to examine the effectiveness and safety of infragenicular angioplasty in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) due to single stenosis or occlusion.
Patients and Methods: The current study was a prospective cohort investigation that recruited diabetic patient with infragenicular CLI with or without supragenicular lesion at Vascular Surgery Department, Aswan University Hospital.  The primary endpoint in our study was the primary patency at the end of sixth month of follow-up.
Results: This study included 20 patients with age ranged between 42 years and 82 years; the majority of patients were males (75%). Eighteen patients (90%) had immediate success; after six months, 14 patients (70%) remained patent.By the end of the sixth month post-revascularization, 15 patients (75%) had limb salvage, while four out of the remaining patients had rest pain relief (80%). Healing of minor ulcers occurred in 80% of the patients, and healing of tissue after debridement or minor amputation occurred in 60% of the patients.
Conclusion: It could be concluded that infragenicular angioplasty exhibited efficacy in the management of CLI due to single stenosis or occlusion in diabetic patients, with acceptable patency rate and safety profile.