Clinical and hemodynamic results of bypass toisolated tibial artery segments for ischemic ulceration of the foot

Patients with ischemic ulceration of the foot and no continuous tibial or inframalleolar vessels acceptable for bypass are often treated with primary amputation. We have performed autogenous vein bypass to isolated tibial artery segments (ITAS) in nine patients with ischemic foot ulcers and no other outflow options. We reviewed the clinical and hemodynamic results of these bypasses to assess the efficacy of this approach. Hemodynamic comparisons of these ITAS bypasses were made to a concurrent series of 26 bypasses to intact tibial arteries and 24 inframalleolar artery bypasses assessed during routine follow-up. Eight of the bypasses originated from the above-knee popliteal artery and one from the profunda femoris artery. Recipient vessels were the anterior tibial (seven), peroneal (one), and posterior tibial (one) arteries. Although mean ankle brachial indices (ABI) increased significantly from 0.26±0.06 preoperatively to 0.75±0.04 postoperatively (p=0.0015), ITAS bypass patients had lower mean postoperative ABIs than patients with bypasses to intact tibial (ABI=0.98±0.03, p=0.0001) or pedal arteries (ABI=1.02±0.04, p=0.0005). Similarly, duplex scan-derived peak systolic flow velocities of the ITAS bypasses (mean: 52.9±5.8 cm/sec) were lower than those of intact tibial artery bypasses (mean: 80.1±6.1 cm/sec, p=0.02) but did not differ from those of pedal bypasses (mean: 59.5±3.5 cm/sec, p=0.34). No ITAS bypass grafts have failed during a mean follow-up of 12.3±2.7 months. Although wound healing was prolonged (mean: 3.1±0.6 months), the wounds of eight of nine patients eventually healed, with three patients requiring minor amputations (one digital amputation and two transmetatarsal amputations). Although the hemodynamic results of ITAS bypass are inferior to those of more conventional bypasses, the early patency rates and successful healing of ischemic wounds confirm that it is a valid alternative in the threatened limb with no other outflow options.