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Objective: To compare the short-term and long-term outcomes of hybrid interventions after various infrainguinal reconstructions (restoration of blood flow through superficial femoral artery and pulsatile blood flow through deep femoral artery) in patients with iliac-femoral arterial disease., Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis included patients after hybrid iliac-femoral interventions between 2014 and 2018. These interventions included stenting of iliac arteries and various open infrainguinal reconstructions. The first group ( n =41) consisted of patients who underwent reconstruction of superficial femoral artery, the second group ( n =88) - restoration of pulsatile blood flow in deep femoral artery. We analyzed the Rutherford score, perioperative complications, primary patency rates and limb salvage rates after 12 months in both groups., Results: Significant improvement (Rutherford score +3) was achieved in 28 (70%) and 14 (15.9%) patients, respectively ( p <0.05). There were no significant between-group differences in the number of postoperative complications. Surgery time was longer in the first group (median 160 and 130 min, respectively, p <0.05). However, intraoperative blood loss was similar. Primary patency rates after 12 months were 82.4% and 95.1%, respectively ( p =0.054). Limb salvage rates after 12 months were 94.7% and 100%, respectively ( p <0.05)., Conclusion: This study highlights the potential advantages of restoring pulsatile blood flow through the deep femoral artery in hybrid interventions. Higher primary patency and limb salvage rates in the second group indicate better long-term outcomes after restoration of blood flow through the deep femoral artery. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results and determine the underlying mechanisms of differences.

Background: Bilirubin has been found to protect against overt atherosclerotic diseases, but to date, few studies have investigated the effects of bilirubin especially within the normal range on lower limb atherosclerosis. Therefore, we aimed to assess the associations of bilirubin within normal limits including total bilirubin (TB), conjugated bilirubin (CB) and unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) with lower limb atherosclerosis in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)., Methods: 7284 T2DM patients with normal levels of serum bilirubin were included in this cross-sectional, real-world study. Patients were divided into quintiles by TB levels (< 8.7, 8.7-10.19, 10.20-11.99, 12-13.99, > 13.99 µmol/L). Lower limb ultrasonography was conducted to detect lower limb plaque and stenosis. The association between serum bilirubin and lower limb atherosclerosis was explored by multiple logistic regression., Results: A remarkable decrease in the prevalence of lower limb plaque (77.5, 75.3, 70.7, 71.7 and 67.9%) and stenosis (21.1, 17.2, 13.3, 13.0 and 12.0%) was observed across the TB quintiles. Multivariable regression analysis showed that serum TB levels were negatively correlated with higher risks of lower limb plaque and stenosis, both as a continuous variable [OR (95%CI): 0.870 (0.784-0.964), p = 0.008 for plaque; and 0.835 (0.737-0.946), p = 0.005 for stenosis] and as categorized in quintiles (p = 0.015 and 0.016 for plaque and stenosis). Interestingly, serum CB levels were only negatively correlated with lower limb stenosis [OR (95%CI): 0.767 (0.685-0.858), p < 0.001], whereas serum UCB levels were only negatively associated with lower limb plaque [ OR (95%CI): 0.864 (0.784-0.952), p = 0.003] after a fully-adjusted analysis. Furthermore, serum CRP was significantly decreased across the TB quintiles and negatively associated with serum TB (r = -0.107, p < 0.001), CB (r = -0.054, p < 0.001), and UCB (r = -0.103, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: High-normal serum bilirubin levels were independently and significantly related to reduced risks of lower limb atherosclerosis in T2DM patients. Furthermore, serum bilirubin levels including TB, CB and UCB were inversely correlated with CRP. These results suggested that higher-normal serum bilirubin may exhibit an anti-inflammatory and protective effect against lower limb atherosclerotic progression in T2DM subjects., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The aim of the present study is to assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and long-term clinical outcomes in retrograde endovascular recanalization (ER) regarding chronic total occlusions (CTOs) of the infra-inguinal lower limb arteries., Methods: The study included patients who underwent retrograde ER of CTOs localized in superficial, popliteal or below-the-knee arteries. During follow-up, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular and major adverse lower limb events (MALE) were evaluated. MALE was defined as amputation, target lesion re-intervention, target vessel re-intervention and surgical treatment., Results: The study included 405 patients at the mean age of 67.2 ± 10.4. The authors divided the overall group of patients according to BMI into < 25 (n = 156, 38.5%) and ≥ 25 kg/m2 (n = 249, 61.5%), and then into < 30 (n = 302, 75.8%) and ≥ 30 kg/m2 (n = 103, 24.2%). During the average follow-up 1,144.9 ± 664.3 days, the mortality rate was higher in the group of patients with BMI < 25 kg/m2 (10.5% vs. 5.3%, p = 0.051), and in the group of patients with BMI < 30 kg/m2 (8.7% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.048). The comparison of Kaplan-Meier curves revealed borderline differences when assessing months to death for the BMI < 25 kg/m2 (p = 0.057) and BMI < 30 kg/m2 (p = 0.056) grouping variables., Conclusions: Obese and overweight patients undergoing CTO ER of the lower limb arteries from retrograde access are related to lower death rates during long-term follow-up.