Aim: This study assessed the efficacy of endovascular versus surgical revascularization in diabetic patients 
with chronic lower limb ischaemia (LLI).
Methods: This prospective study, with 1-year follow up, was conducted in the vascular surgery department, 
Assiut University Hospitals, Egypt from September 2009 to January 2012 in a consecutive series of 161 
patients with chronic LLI.
Results: Peripheral angioplasty (PTA) was performed in 107 (66.5%) patients and bypass graft (BPG) in 54 
(33.5%). Technical success was 94.4% for the endovascular group and 88.9% for the BPG group. The overall 1 
year patency rate was 74.2% after PTA and 70.8% after BPG. One year amputation and mortality rates for PTA 
were 9.3% and 10.3% respectively and for BPG were the same (14.8%). 
Conclusion: Revascularization by PTA is highly feasible in diabetics with chronic LLI. The feasibility of 
revascularization by BPG is lower and was performed when PTA was not feasible. Diabetic patients often 
have comorbidities that make minimally invasive treatment modalities look more favorable.