Reconstruction of the Vascular Compromised Lower Extremity - Report of the Consensus Workshop at the 35. Meeting of the DAM (Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft fur Mikrochirurgie der peripheren Nerven und Gefasse) 2013 in Deidesheim

Introduction: As microsurgical reconstruction is now being increasingly performed on patients with critical peripheral perfusion and/or arterial occlusive disease in numerous centres, there is a need for standardisation of interdisciplinary diagnostic approach and treatment regimens in such critically ill patients. In a consensus workshop on reconstruction of the vascular compromised lower extremity during the 35th Annual Meeting of the German working group microsurgery of the peripheral nerves and vessels (DAM) in 2013 in Deidesheim, DAM members together with vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists attempted to establish interdisciplinarily routine pathways for diagnosis and therapy and to consolidate key recommendations for treatment. Methods: By reviewing the literature and considering the results of the expert meetings, options and limits of therapy were illustrated and recommendations for successful cooperative treatment formulated. Results: By means of interdisciplinary cooperation, limbs can be salvaged and the quality of live as well as survival of patients with severe peripheral vascular disease improved. Different techniques including angioplasty, bypass surgery and microsurgical free flaps can be applied and individualised concepts allow extremity salvage even in patients with severely compromised limbs. Revascularisation provides the possibility of free flap transfer while the risk for the patients is moderate. Discussion: The poor general condition of the patient requires a sufficient interdisciplinary preoperative planning. By means of interdisciplinary cooperation, the limbs can be salvaged. This not only improves the quality of life but also increases the survival time of patients with occlusive vascular disease. Different concepts for this group of patients have been developed. Surgical treatment with a distal bypass or recanalisation and free flap not only allow for the coverage of large defects, but also represent a haemodynamic advantage by increased blood flow in the bypass. This is attributed to the additional vascular bed that is transplanted with the free flap. Limb salvage means relevant improvement, however, the initially less demanding procedure of amputation must always be considered.