An alternative way to open the lower extremity artery with extra-long segment occlusion

  Recently, our interventional ward successfully performed stenting for a patient with bilateral lower extremity atherosclerosis occlusion by retrograde puncture of N artery, which opened the long segment of lower extremity artery occlusion, and the patient’s condition improved after the operation, achieving satisfactory results.  Patient Huang, 62 years old, came to Nanning for repeated left lower extremity numbness and weakness, and was considered to have bilateral lower extremity atherosclerosis occlusive disease after completing ultrasound and CTA examinations at the Affiliated Hospital of Medical University. After admission, the doctors in the interventional oncology ward discussed and proposed to perform arteriography and balloon dilatation angioplasty for both lower extremities and stent placement if necessary. After repeatedly studying the patient’s condition, the chief of our department, Ray Yu, decided to solve this problem by retrograde puncture of the N artery with pioneering and innovative thinking.  On November 15, under the guidance of intraoperative B-ultrasound, Director Yu successfully guided the guide wire through the occluded segment by puncturing the left N artery as an access, and then dilated the stenotic segment with a balloon. However, due to the severe wall sclerosis of the occluded segment and the long occlusion time, the lumen of the occluded segment was retracted after dilatation, and the lumen could not be kept open by simple dilatation. After the operation, the patient’s skin temperature of the left lower extremity increased, and the symptoms of numbness and weakness improved significantly, and satisfactory results were achieved.  Arteriosclerotic occlusive disease is a more common disease in middle and old age, which is related to various factors such as age, blood lipids, diabetes, smoking, etc. Symptoms such as coldness, numbness, pain and claudication in the lower limbs are often not taken seriously because they bring pain, gangrene of the limbs and even amputation when they are completely occluded.  Interventional approach is an important means of treatment of peripheral vascular diseases. Compared with traditional vascular surgery, interventional treatment of vascular diseases has the advantages of less trauma, lower complications and shorter hospital stay, etc. In principle, interventional treatment is feasible regardless of the cause of arterial stenosis or occlusion. In the early stage of application, only balloon dilatation of stenosed or occluded arteries is performed to free some people from disease pain, but some patients have poor results after surgery, mainly due to retraction of arterial walls or (and) local thrombosis, resulting in restenosis or acute occlusion of arteries, and the use of endoluminal stenting has benefited more patients.  At the same time, interventional modalities have shown conclusive results in the treatment of diseases such as angiomas, vascular malformations or arteriovenous fistulas. However, it is not popular in China to master and apply this technology. Our oncology interventional ward has successfully carried out interventional treatment for lower extremity atherosclerosis (including diabetic foot lower extremity artery disease), and for the first time in Guangxi, we have successfully used retrograde puncture of the N artery to open the ultra-long segment occluded vessels of lower extremity arteries, which is believed to bring good news to more and more patients.