Results of lutonix drug-coated balloons angioplasty in below the knee arteries in critical limb ischemia patients

BACKGROUND: We report outcomes of patient with critical limb ischemia treated with the Lutonix DCB for intervention of below the knee (BTK) arteries. Endovascular treatment strategy of BTK lesions has been considered the first option over the last few years. DCB showed to be safe and effective for SFA, while in infrapopliteal lesions no definitive consensus has been reached regarding the safety and effectiveness of DCBs. METHODS: A retrospective analisys has been performed in patients that were treated with the Lutonix DCB between September 2014 and August 2015 for critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients. Data on target lesion revascularizations (TLR), amputation and death rates were followed-up to 12 months. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were treated for CLI. TLR occurred in 21.8% of patients. Two below the ankle amputations were performed and no patients died. Freedom from death or major amputation was 96.5% and wound healing was 89.1% CONCLUSIONS: In this study the Lutonix DCB shows safety and efficacy in BTK interventions in CLI patients.