Background: Most patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) have infrapopliteal arterial disease, which are often challenging to treat. In endovascular treatment (EVT) for these complex lesions, establishing retrograde access is an essential option not only for guidewire crossing but also for device delivery. However, no EVT case has yet been reported requiring inframalleolar thrice distal puncture in a single EVT session so far.
Case presentation: A 60-year-old CLTI patient with grade 3 Wound, Ischemia and foot Infection (WIfI) classification underwent EVT for occluded dorsal artery and posterior tibial artery. First, we conducted successful balloon angioplasty of the posterior tibial artery by establishing a retrograde approach via the lateral plantar artery. To treat the occlusion of the dorsal artery, we punctured the first dorsal metatarsal artery, and retrogradely advanced a guidewire to the dorsal artery occlusion; however, the microcatheter could not follow the guidewire. Therefore, we punctured the occluded distal anterior tibial artery and introduced the retrograde guidewire into the puncture needle. After guidewire externalization, we pulled up the retrograde microcatheter into the occlusion of dorsal artery using the "balloon deployment using forcible manner" technique. Thereafter, we were able to advance the antegrade guidewire into the retrograde microcatheter. After guidewire externalization, an antegrade balloon catheter was delivered and inflated for the purpose of dorsal artery dilation and hemostasis at the "needle rendezvous" point. Consecutively, balloon dilation was performed for puncture site hemostasis of the first dorsal metatarsal artery and complete hemostasis was achieved. Finally, we confirmed good vascular patency and favorable blood flow. After revascularization, transmetatarsal amputation was performed and the wound healed favorably.
Conclusions: We can markedly increase the success rate of revascularization by effectively utilizing the retrograde approach in EVT for complex chronic total occlusions in infrapopliteal arterial diseases.
Keywords: Critical limb-threatening ischemia; Distal puncture; Endovascular treatment; Inframalleolar; Infrapopliteal arterial disease.
© 2023. The Author(s).