Coagulation, Fibrinolysis, and Platelet Activation Following Open Surgical or Percutaneous Angioplasty Revascularization for Symptomatic Lower Limb Chronic Ischemia

Introduction:Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is associated with a prothrombotic diathesis that involves a complex balance between the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems. Knowledge of this is essential when considering revascularization procedures but is often overlooked. The aim of this review is to summarize the available literature and provide an overview of the effects of lower limb angioplasty and open surgical revascularization on coagulation, fibrinolysis, and platelet activation.Methods:A MEDLINE and EMBASE search was conducted between 1973 and 2014 for articles relating to the effects of revascularization for patients with CLI on the fibrinolytic and coagulation pathways. Studies with a small cohort of patients (<5) were rejected.Results:Many of the studies included in this analysis had small cohorts. Multiple markers were assessed across the published literature including von Willebrand factor, tissue factor, prothrombin fragments 1 and 2, platelets, soluble platelet selectin, plasminogen activato...