CLI

Critical Limb Ischemia

If left untreated, PAD can progress to critical limb ischemia (CLI), which occurs when there is not enough oxygenated blood being delivered to the leg to keep the tissue alive. An estimated 1.5 to 2 million people in the United States and Europe suffer from CLI, which occurs when symptoms of PAD—including pain, non-healing wounds, tissue loss or gangrene—become more severe.¹

When CLI develops, it can lead to constant pain and even amputation of toes, feet and/or part of the leg. Within one year of the onset of CLI, 25% of patients will die and another 25% will require major amputation. Last year, over 150,000 amputations were performed in the U.S. and Europe, with a 40% mortality rate at two years post-amputation.²

1. "Conquering Critical Limb Ischemia", Michael R Jaff, DO and Giancarlo Biamino, MD, Endovascular Today, February 2004, Volume 3, No 2.
2. “Mortality and Hospitalization in Patients After Amputation”, Christopher J. Schofield, MB, CHB et al. Diabetes Care 29:2252-2256, 2006