The impact of diabetes mellitus on major amputation among patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia undergoing elective endovascular therapy- a nationwide propensity score adjusted analysis

AIM

To investigate the risk of major amputation after elective endovascular therapy in patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) comparing patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM).

METHODS

In this nationwide cohort study, all patients registered in the Swedish Vascular Register after elective endovascular therapy for CLTI caused by infra-inguinal arterial disease from 2010 to 2014 were included. Among 4578 individuals, 2251 had DM and were registered in the National Diabetes Register between 2009 and 2014. A propensity score adjusted Cox regression analysis was conducted to compare outcomes between groups. Median follow-up was 4.0 and 3.6 years for patients with DM and without DM, respectively.

RESULTS

The incidence rates of major amputation and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were 43% (95% CI 1.23-1.67) and 37% (95% CI 1.13-1.67) higher, respectively, among patients with DM compared to patients without DM. There was no difference in mortality (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.95-1.14).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with DM had a higher risk of major amputation and AMI compared to those without DM after elective endovascular therapy for CLTI. Prevention of DM with CLTI is of utmost importance to reduce the risk of adverse limb and cardiovascular outcomes.

Amputation-free survival in patients with diabetic foot ulcer and peripheral arterial disease: Endovascular versus open surgery in a propensity score adjusted analysis

AIMS

The aim of the present study was to compare outcomes of endovascular surgery versus open vascular surgery in patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

METHODS

Between 1984 and 2006, 1151 patients with DFU were admitted to the diabetic foot care team. Three hundred seventy-six patients with 408 limbs were consecutively included at a multidisciplinary foot center, 289 limbs were treated with endovascular surgery and 119 limbs with open vascular surgery first strategy. A propensity score adjusted analysis was performed to compare outcomes for type of revascularization.

RESULTS

Major amputation rates at 3 years were 17.0% and 16.8% (p = 0.97) and mortality at 3 years were 43.1% and 46.5% (p = 0.55) after endovascular surgery and open vascular surgery, respectively. In the propensity score adjusted analysis, patients undergoing endovascular surgery first had similar outcomes in terms of major amputation, mortality, combined major amputation/mortality compared to those undergoing open vascular surgery. Longer time to intervention (p = 0.003) was associated with increased major amputation rate in the multivariable Cox regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

The endovascular surgery first and open vascular surgery first strategies were associated with similar long-term results in a large cohort of patients with DFU and PAD undergoing revascularization. Rapid revascularization reduces the risk of amputation.

Outcome of intra-arterial thrombolysis in patients with diabetes and acute lower limb ischemia: a propensity score adjusted analysis

The presence of diabetes mellitus is rarely addressed in acute lower limb ischaemia (ALLI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of local intra-arterial thrombolysis for ALLI in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Outcome of all thrombolytic events performed in an endovascular first-strategy centre during a 13-year period between 2001 and 2013 in patients with ALLI were followed to January 2017. A propensity score adjusted analysis was performed to evaluate results in patients with (n = 83) versus without (n = 316) DM. Patients with DM were younger (p = 0.001), more often women (p = 0.014), more often had renal insufficiency (p = 0.041), foot ulcers (p < 0.001), and thrombosis (p = 0.032) than the patients without DM. At presentation, patients with DM had a lower degree of ischemia judged by the Rutherford classification, compared to those without DM (p = 0.023). None of the 83 diabetic patients had a popliteal artery aneurysm, compared to 25 (7.9%) of the 316 patients without DM (p = 0.008). The amount of tPA administered to patients with DM was higher than to patients without DM (p = 0.03). In the propensity score adjusted analysis, patients with DM had a higher rate of major amputation at 1 (OR 2.52; 95% CI 1.22–5.20) and 3 years (OR 2.52; 95% CI 1.26–5.04), and a lower amputation-free survival at 3 years (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.25–0.85), than those without DM. Patients with DM presenting with ALLI differ in clinical characteristics, presentation, and aetiology compared to patients with DM, and have a higher rate of major amputation and lower amputation-free survival rate after intra-arterial thrombolysis.