Differences in Long-Term Outcomes in End-Stage Kidney Disease Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.

BACKGROUND: End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is a risk factor for peripheral arterial disease and major adverse limb events following infra-inguinal bypass. Despite comprising an important patient population, ESKD patients are rarely analyzed as a subgroup and are underrepresented in vascular surgery guidelines. This study aims to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with and without ESKD undergoing endovascular peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). METHODS: CLTI patients with and without ESKD from 2007-2020 were identified in the Vascular Quality Initiative PVI dataset. Patients with prior bilateral interventions were excluded. Patients undergoing femoral-popliteal and tibial interventions were included. Mortality, reintervention, amputation, and occlusion rates at 21 months following intervention were examined. Statistical analyses were completed with the t-test, chi-square, and Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: The ESKD cohort was younger (66.4 ± 11.8 vs. 71.6 ± 12.1 years, P < 0.001) with higher rates of diabetes (82.2 vs. 60.9%, P < 0.001) the non-ESKD cohort. Long-term follow-up was available for 58.4% (N = 2,128 procedures) of ESKD patients and 60.8% (N = 13,075 procedures) of non-ESKD patients. At 21 months, ESKD patients had a higher mortality (41.7 vs. 17.4%, P < 0.001) and a higher amputation rate (22.3 vs. 7.1%, P < 0.001); however, they had a lower reintervention rate (13.2 vs. 24.6%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CLTI patients with ESKD have worse long-term outcomes at 2 years following PVI than non-ESKD patients. Mortality and amputation are higher with ESKD, while the reintervention rate is lower. Development of guidelines within the ESKD population has the potential to improve limb salvage.