Post-operative surveillance after open peripheral arterial surgery.

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Evidence-Based Medicine
• Postoperative Care

Background:

• Clinical guidelines aid patient management but lack specific guidance for open arterial surgery surveillance.
• Justification for follow-up frequency, Doppler ultrasound, and imaging is needed.
• This review provides an evidence-based approach to postoperative care following open arterial surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the available literature on postoperative surveillance following open arterial surgery.
• To offer an evidence-based approach to guide clinical management and resource utilization.
• To construct surveillance recommendations based on existing evidence.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an electronic literature search of Medline and Embase databases up to September 2009.
• Screened over 2300 studies by title and abstract.
• Included 42 relevant papers in the review to formulate recommendations.

Main Results:

• While detailed imaging is available, Level 1 evidence for modality or timing in postoperative management is scarce.
• Surveillance recommendations predominantly consist of Grades B and C evidence.
• Clinical review is the cornerstone of surveillance after open peripheral arterial surgery.

Conclusions:

• Clinical assessment is the primary method for surveillance after open peripheral arterial surgery.
• Duplex scanning is generally the preferred imaging technique when indicated.
• Limited data exists on quality of life and intervention efficacy in this patient group.