Association between gender and outcomes of lower extremity peripheral vascular interventions.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of gender with outcomes of peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) for intermittent claudication and critical limb ischemia (CLI). METHODS: We reviewed 3338 patients (1316 [39%] women) undergoing PVI for claudication (1892; 57%) or CLI (1446; 43%) in the Vascular Study Group of New England from January 2010 to June 2012. Kaplan-Meier analysis, stratified by indication, was used to assess relationships between gender and the main outcome measures of major amputation, reintervention, and survival during the first year. RESULTS: Indications for PVI included claudication (n = 719 [38%] vs n = 1173 [62%]) and CLI (n = 597 [41%] vs n = 849 [59%]) in women and men, respectively (P = .0028). Women were older (69 vs 66 mean years; P < .00001), with less diabetes (43% vs 49%; P = .01), renal insufficiency (4.6% vs 7.3%; P = .0029), coronary artery disease (28% vs 35%; P < .00001), smoking (76% vs 86%; P = .01), and statin use (60% vs 64%; P = .0058). Technical success (95% vs 94%; P = .11), vascular injury (1.3% vs 1.0%; P = .82), and distal embolization (1.6% vs 1.3%; P = .46) were similar. Higher rates of hematoma (7.1% vs 3.4%; P ≤ .0001) and access site occlusion (0.91% vs 0.24%; P = .0085) were observed in women compared with men. There were no differences in major amputation (0.6% vs 0.6%; P = .81) or mortality (2.1% vs 1.5%; P = .20) rates at 30 days between women and men. Reinterventions (surgical and percutaneous) were similar between genders for claudicants (log-rank test, P = .75) and CLI patients (log-rank test, P = .93). Major amputation rates during the first year were not different for women and men and with claudication (log-rank test, P < .55) or CLI (log-rank test, P < .23). One-year survival was not different between women and men with claudication (95% vs 96%; P = .19) or CLI (77% vs 79%; P = .35). CONCLUSIONS: Whereas we observed higher rates of access site complications including hematoma and occlusion in women, we found no other evidence for gender disparity in reinterventions, major amputation, or survival rates after PVI for patients with claudication or CLI.

The influence of gender on functional outcomes of lower extremity bypass.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the effect of gender on early and late procedural and functional outcomes of lower extremity bypass (LEB). METHODS: We reviewed the records of 2576 patients (828 women; 32%) who underwent LEB for claudication or critical limb ischemia (CLI) in the Vascular Study Group of New England from 2003 to 2010. Logistic regression and proportional hazards models were used to adjust for potential confounding differences between genders. Morbidity, mortality, graft patency, freedom from major amputation, ambulation, and living status were analyzed postoperatively and over 1 year. RESULTS: Women were older (70 vs 68 years; P < .001), had more hypertension (89% vs 85%; P = .006), less coronary artery disease (35% vs 39%; P = .03), smoking (73% vs 88%; P < .001), and preoperative statin use (60% vs 64%; P = .04). Women were more likely to have CLI (76% vs 71%; P = .003), and ambulate with assistance at presentation (19% vs 16%; P = .02). Morbidity was similar except women had higher rates of reoperation for thrombosis (4% vs 2%; P < .001) without differences in major amputation (2% vs 1%; P = .13) or in-hospital mortality (1.7% vs 1.7%; P = .96). Women and men with claudication had similar 1-year graft patency rates. Women with CLI had lower rates of primary (hazard ratio [HR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.48; P = .02), assisted primary (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.15-1.76; P = .001) and secondary patency (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.10-1.77; P = .006) during the first year compared with men. Freedom from amputation was similar for men and women with CLI (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.84-1.63; P = .36). There were no differences in late survival between women and men with claudication (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.60-1.31; P = .36) or CLI (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.81-1.09; P = .39). More female claudicants were not independently ambulatory at discharge (30% vs 19%; P = .002) and were discharged to a nursing home (15% vs 5%; P < .001) but these differences did not persist at 1 year. Women with CLI were more likely to be nonambulatory at discharge (13% vs 9%; P = .006) and at 1 year (13% vs 8%; P < .001). More women with CLI were discharged to a nursing home (44% vs 35%; P = .01) and resided there at 1 year (11% vs 7%; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Women have complication rates similar to men with inferior early and late functional outcomes after LEB. The reduced patency rates in women with CLI did not translate into differences in limb salvage. These findings might help define physician and patient expectations for women before revascularization.