Aim: to define the level of management of cardiovascular risk factors in patients treated for critical limb ischaemia in a vascular surgical setting.
Materials and methods: retrospective review of all (n =147) patients operated on for critical lower extremity ischaemia in 1998. We included pre- and postoperative cardiac events.
Results: only eight (5%) (95% CI; 2-9) were on lipid lowering treatment and 58 (39%) (95% CI; 31-47) using acetylsalicylic acid.
Conclusions: only a minority of patients operated on for CLI were receiving adequate cardiovascular risk factor modification.