Background: A tibial-pedal access method is needed for patients with advanced peripheral artery disease (PAD) unable to tolerate common femoral artery (CFA) access and intervention due to body habitus or comorbidities. This is the first case series reporting an alternative technique to revascularize such patients. Using ultrasound (US) and the tibio-pedal arterial minimally invasive retrograde revascularization (TAMI) technique, operators accessed, and revascularized the lower extremity completely via tibial-pedal arterial access.
Methods: This retrospective, single-center, case series recorded on 23 patients who underwent TAMI revascularization during a seven-month period in 2012, demonstrating the feasibility and safety of the TAMI technique. Eighty-three percent had Rutherford Classification IV-VI. Ultrasound guidance aided all tibial access. Demographics, vascular symptoms, disease characteristics, success, procedure length, time to discharge, immediate and 30-day complications were collected. Comparison was sought with 201 unmatched patients treated via traditional CFA access over a similar period.
Results: Arterial access was successful in all patients. Thirty-six lesions were treated. Lesion success (ability to cross lesion and achieve post treatment stenosis <30%) was achieved in 95% of patients. 25% of lesions were above the knee. Average prestenosis was 92.5%; average poststenosis 12%. No major complications were noted. Two patients presented within 30 days with access site pain. Access site peroneal artery pseudo-aneurysms were diagnosed and treated percutaneously with covered stents. Both recovered with no sequelae.
Conclusion: Retrograde tibio-pedal intervention appears to be safe and effective. The TAMI technique offers an alternate revascularization method for critically ill advanced PAD patients.
Keywords: critical limb ischemia; endovascular; tibial access; ultrasound.
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