Surgical treatment of the severely ischaemic leg: I. Survival rates.

Over a 10-year period, 411 patients with atherosclerotic major artery disease causing severe ischaemia of the legs were treated by surgery. Their survival rate, assessed by the life table method, was 80 per cent at 1 year and 50 per cent at 5 years. Early and late survival rates were significantly worse in elderly patients, and in patients with extensive gangrene. Late survival rates were significantly worse in diabetics, and in patients with clinical myocardial ischaemia. Patients treated by arterial reconstruction showed a better survival rate than those treated by sympathectomy or amputation, though the latter groups contained more poor risk patients. Survival rates were not influenced by the technique of reconstruction.