Infrapopliteal bypass reduces amputation incidence in elderly patients: a population-based study.

Abstract

To examine the association between the incidences of infrapopliteal bypass for critical limb ischaemia (CLI) and major amputation in Finns aged >or=70 years. Patients undergoing infrapopliteal bypass or major amputation for CLI during 1997 were retrospectively analysed. The incidence of major amputation in a group of hospitals performing infrapopliteal bypass "actively" was compared to that in a group performing such surgery "passively". The incidence of major amputations in the active (978 bypasses per million inhabitants) and passive (57 per million) groups was 1976 and 3177 per million, respectively (p = 0.016). There was a significant (p = 0.012) inverse relationship between the incidence of the two procedures in patients aged >or=80, but not <80 years. These results suggest that infrapopliteal bypass is effective in reducing the requirement for major amputation in patients aged >or=80 years.