Efficacy of Short Balloon Inflation Time in Infrapopliteal Angioplasty for Chronic Limb-threatening Ischemia: Short-term Outcomes from a Single Center

Objectives: Peripheral arterial disease, particularly infrapopliteal disease, is closely associated with diabetes. While infrapopliteal angioplasty has gained global acceptance, there is no consensus on optimal balloon inflation time. This study evaluates the outcomes of infrapopliteal angioplasty using short balloon inflation times in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from October 2024 to January 2025 in diabetic patients with CLTI undergoing infrapopliteal angioplasty. Clinical outcomes were assessed using wound healing progression and ankle–brachial index (ABI), with regular postprocedure follow-up. Results: Forty-one patients (mean age: 66.8 ± 9.2 years; 75.6% of males) underwent infrapopliteal angioplasty, with a mean balloon inflation time of 24.3 ± 11.8 s. The anterior tibial artery was the most commonly treated vessel (34.1%), and multiple vessel interventions were performed in 56.1% of cases. During a mean follow-up of 3.2 ± 1.4 months, ABI improved significantly from 0.76 ± 0.39 preprocedure to 0.98 ± 0.28 postprocedure ( P = 0.001), and 95.1% of patients demonstrated positive wound healing. Conclusions: Short-duration balloon inflation during infrapopliteal angioplasty appears to be an effective and safe approach in CLTI, achieving high wound healing rates and significant ABI improvements with minimal complications.