Preoperative anemia associated with adverse outcomes after infrainguinal bypass surgery in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia

Mortality and major adverse events in CLTI patients undergoing infrainguinal bypass are inversely associated with preoperative HCT levels, with the highest event rates in the most severely anemic patients. The correlation between anemia and MACE-but not mortality-was stronger in those patients receiving postoperative blood transfusions. Further research is needed to define an appropriate transfusion threshold, and attention should be focused on how to best optimize anemic CLTI patients before intervention.