Changing Practice Patterns in Peripheral Arterial Disease

The development of interventional radiologic techniques during the past decade has changed our approach to the treatment of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (LE-PAD). Balloon and laser-assisted angioplasty, atherectomy (rotary and directional devices), stent implantation, and thrombolysis as well as combinations of all of these approaches, at times with concomitant or secondary surgery, have been used in our institution. A review of our practice patterns during the past 5 years was performed to analyze changing attitudes and results with these newer techniques. All new patients seen in consultation for LE-PAD during three alternate years were reviewed with regard to demographics, initial complaints, initial treatment modality, initial outcome, indications for and results of secondary treatment, and ultimate outcome (at 1 year). The 603 patients were seen during the following three 12-month periods: 1987 to 1988, 1989 to 1990, and 1991 to 1992. An intention-to-treat analysis revealed (1) the number of patients seen for peripheral arterial disease has increased steadily; (2) in the last year more were initially treated with intervention as the primary modality; (3) the results of such catheter-based procedures improved only slightly over this 5-year period, despite our learning curve and the fact that we discarded several ineffective interventional approaches; (4) the fraction of patients primarily operated on and the excellent results of surgery have not changed; and (5) the number of operations for proximal (aortoiliac) disease has decreased markedly, with a corresponding increase in distal reconstructions. The evolution of our current approach to the treatment of LE-PAD is based on this continuing experience.