Fate of patients undergoing transluminal angioplasty for lower-limb ischemia. A prospective study of 370 patients who underwent 500 percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTAs) for lower-limb ischemia over a 7-year period was performed. A 97% follow-up rate was achieved. The first PTA was successful in 188 patients (51%). Of the failures, 31% were failed attempts at dilation and 73% occurred within 1 month of intervention. Of the patients with failed PTA, 39% underwent bypass surgery and 24% underwent amputation. The 30-day mortality rate was 3%, with 1% of the deaths attributed to PTA. The survival rate at 5 years for the successes was double that for the failures (P less than .0005). The best results were in femoropopliteal stenoses with two or three patent calf vessels (cumulative patency rate, 78% at 3 years) and the worst in femoropopliteal occlusions with one or no patent calf vessels (cumulative patency rate, 25% at 3 years). Log rank tests on the life-table data were used to show factors favoring a good outcome. It is concluded that PTA is the treatment of first choice in suitable patients and, although the failure of intervention in critical ischemia has a significant risk, it is a valuable addition to the therapeutic options in patients with little chance of surgical treatment. 