Evaluation of Claudicatory Extremities by Ankle Blood Pressure and Muscle Blood Flow in Exercise Testing Before and After Operations

Abstract

To study the hemodynamics in the lower extremities before and after opera tions, ankle blood pressure and muscle blood flow in exercise testing were measured in 19 patients with chronic obstructive arterial disease and a chief complaint of intermittent claudication. The ankle and brachial pressures were measured before and just after exercise and the ankle pressure index (API) was obtained. The muscle blood flow was measured by 133Xe clearance method at thigh and calf. Arterial reconstruction was performed in 19 lower extremities of 17 patients and the claudication disappeared in all. The API of the revascularized lower extremities improved as much as the API of the nonclaudicatory lower extremities. The muscle blood flow during exercise of these extremities increased markedly in the calf after operation. The API and muscle blood flow in exercise testing increased in 2 lower extremities of a patient who received PGE 1 intraarter ial infusions but not significantly. However, the API and muscle blood flow did not change in 1 lower extremity after lumbar sympathectomy.