ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Lower extremity amputation prevention (LEAP) is an ongoing program in our institution aimed at salvaging limbs in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). Patients in the LEAP program with reconstructible anatomy on initial Doppler imaging received either bypass surgery or percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA). We present the 3 year limb salvage rate and angiographic disease patterns in 42 consecutive diabetic patients with CLI who received PTA in 2005. METHODS AND MATERIAL: 26 women and 16 men with diabetes between the ages of 45 and 91 years old (mean age, 70.8 years) received PTA in 2005. Presenting symptoms were rest pain (n = 22), pre-existing gangrene (n = 17), non-healing ulcer (n = 16) and cellulitis (n = 2). The aim of the PTA was to achieve straight-line flow from the abdominal aorta down to the patent dorsalis pedis or plantar arch, with limb salvage as the ultimate outcome. Failure of treatment was defined as any amputation above the level of a Syme's amputation or the need for further surgical bypass. Technical success was achieved in 90% (38 out of 42 patients). RESULTS: Limb salvage rates were 93% at 1 month, 87% at 3 months, 82% at 6 months, 78% at 1 year, 69% at 2 years and 66% at 3 years. Mortality was 17% (n = 7) at 3 years. Of the 13 patients with failed therapy, 3 underwent bypass, 9 had amputations and 1 had bypass followed by amputation. Four of the cases required further intervention due to worsening gangrene and infection, while the remaining was due to persistent rest pain. The rest of the 32 patients had no lower limb related issues at the end of 3 years, with improvement of the presenting symptoms. Patterns of treated segments were aortoiliac occlusions (n = 3), pure infrapopliteal disease (n = 3), femoropopliteal with at least 1 good infrapopliteal run-off vessel (n = 14) and combined femoropopliteal and infrapopliteal disease (n = 25). CONCLUSION: Involvement of infrapopliteal vessels that needs to be treated is common in Asian diabetics. While early limb salvage rates up to 1 year are similar, the 3 year limb salvage rates in Asian diabetics are lower than the western population.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of selective intra-arterial calcium-stimulated hepatic venous sampling (ASVS) as a preoperative regionalisation modality for insulinomas. DESIGN AND METHODS: Four patients with biochemically-proven endogenous hyperinsulinism and negative spiral computed tomographic (CT) pancreas were subjected to ASVS between October 1999 to May 2001. Results obtained from ASVS were compared with localisation studies using either magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS); and these were confirmed surgically whenever possible. RESULTS: ASVS led to a definitive regionalisation in all 4 patients evaluated; the predicted location of the insulinoma matched the findings intraoperatively in all 3 patients who were operated upon. These were all proven to be insulinoma histologically. However, 1 patient showed a positive ASVS result in samples obtained from the left hepatic vein only. In the patient who was unable to undergo surgical resection due to other co-morbid factors, his ASVS findings were corroborated by localisation obtained from the MRI study. Conversely, EUS was found to give an incorrect localisation of insulinoma in 1 patient. Adverse effects were encountered in 3 patients (2 with mild hypotension and 1 with transient atrial fibrillation); however, premature termination of the procedure was not necessary in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: ASVS is accurate and reliable for regionalisation of insulinoma, especially in patients who do not have an obvious, unequivocal tumour using high quality current-generation MRI scans.
