Comparison of Outcomes Following Infrapopliteal Plain Balloon Angioplasty in the BASIL Trial (1999-2004) and in a Contemporary Series (2009-2013).

To compare outcomes in patients randomized to infrapopliteal (IP) plain balloon angioplasty (PBA) for chronic limb-threatening ischemia within the Bypass versus Angioplasty in Severe Ischemia of the Leg (BASIL)-1 trial between 1999 and 2004 with outcomes in consecutive patients undergoing IP PBA at an academic vascular unit a decade later (2009-2013, Contemporary series [CS]).Individual patient data were obtained from prospective BASIL-1 (48 patients) and CS databases (73 patients). All had a minimum of 3-years of follow-up. Outcomes studied were amputation-free survival (AFS), overall survival (OS), major (above ankle) limb amputation, arterial reintervention, immediate technical success, and length of hospital stay for the index procedure and during the following 12-month period. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.4.

The BASIL and CS cohorts were well matched for gender, age, diabetes, previous stroke, myocardial infarction and arterial intervention, and presence of tissue loss. More patients in BASIL-1 underwent concomitant treatment of the superficial femoral (60% vs 37%, P = .01) and above knee popliteal (60% vs 34%, P = .005) arteries. Immediate technical success increased from 73% in BASIL-1 to 90% in the CS (P = .01). Between the two cohorts, there were no differences in AFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65-1.54, P = 1.0), OS (HR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.66-1.62, P = .9), major amputation (HR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.37-1.97, P = .7), or reintervention (HR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.29-1.27, P = .2). Contemporary series patients spent significantly fewer days in hospital following the index procedure (P = .02) and also over the following 12 months (P = .002).

Despite improvements in the immediate technical angiographic success of IP PBA between BASIL and the CS, there were no significant improvements in survival outcomes. Results from BASIL-2 and BEST-CLI are required in order to properly define the clinical and cost-effectiveness of endovascular treatment in such patients.