The role of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for atherosclerotic disease of the lower extremities.

A consecutive series of 62 patients (74 symptomatic limbs) were admitted with atherosclerotic disease of the legs in a 6-month period from 1st July 1982. All patients had an arteriogram under local anaesthetic the day after admission and if possible a transluminal balloon dilatation was performed. If dilatation failed an operation was performed the following day. Dilatation was successful in 13 of 23 lesions above the inguinal ligament and significantly improved the Doppler foot pressures from 84 to 120 mmHg. Dilatation was only successful in 17 of 51 lesions below the inguinal ligament and 40% of these had re-occluded within 6 months. Transluminal dilatation is an important advance for stenotic lesions of the distal aorta and iliacs but its place is limited for the more common lesions in the superficial femoral artery.