Endovascular Therapy of Superficial Femoral Artery and Popliteal Lesions in Critical Limb Ischemia

INTRODUCTION Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) of the lower extremities is a chronic and progressive disease with an incidence ranging from 4.5% to 8.8% among people older than 55 years. PAOD is an important cause of morbidity and an adverse prognostic indicator in the elderly population, even when it is not a frequent primary cause of mortality (1,2). The initial symptom of PAOD of the lower extremities is normally an intermittent claudication caused by the inability to sufficiently augment blood flow in response to exercise. Only a quarter of the patients deteriorate to a higher Fontaine class (III or IV) or incapacitating symptoms (Fontaine class IIB) and require intervention. The ultimate amputation rate of the patients suffering from intermittent claudication is limited to 1% per year (3).