In this discussion recorded at AMP 2024, CLI Global Society European Chapter Chairman Jos van den Berg, MD, and Vice-Chairman Thomas Zeller, MD, discuss the work that the Chapter has been doing to improve the lives of patients with critical limb ischemia.

Endovascular treatment of peripheral artery disease is challenging in patients with CLTI and complex lesions, and optimal treatment strategies are not established. This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the safety and performance of a helical centerline stent in these indications.

Watch as Dr. Thomas Zeller reviews his presentation on the treatment of symptomatic femoropopliteal disease with drug-coated balloons vs bare-metal stents, which he gave at the Amputation Prevention Symposium in August 2023. 

Since there was a striking paucity of high-level comparative effectiveness evidence on the optimal treatment of patients with CLTI so far, both these landmark trials were awaited with great interest. However, study outcomes are conflicting and therefore worthy of intensive review and in-depth analysis for all medical professions confronted with such patients.

Barry Katzen interviews 10 experts on CLTI who each bring their varied specialties, experiences, and opinions to help us understand the BEST-CLI trial results. Study design analysis, generalizability, and real-world application are some of the topics discussed.

The initial results of the long-awaited BEST-CLI (Surgery or Endovascular Therapy for Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia) trial were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. There is a lack of prospective, randomized data to guide treatment of peripheral arterial disease, and this landmark trial is worthy of review and analysis by any practitioner treating CLTI.

Commentary on "A Novel Temporary Stent For Treatment of Infrapopliteal Arteries in Conjunction With Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty: The DEEPER Pilot Study" by Mustapha, et al.

Commentary on Jammeh ML, Suggs J, Adams GL, et al. Outcomes of orbital atherectomy in patients with critical limb threatening ischemia and diabetes. J Crit Limb Isch. 2022;2(2):E29-E37. Epub 2022 Apr 12.

Dr Zeller comments on a recent JCLI meta-analysis by Al Halabi et al, who examined paclitaxel-coated drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty in infrapopliteal artery lesions and found significant benefits for the use of DCB.