Patient experience, pain, and quality of life after lower limb angioplasty: a multisite prospective cohort study

To explore the experience of patients undergoing endovascular lower limb angioplasty and evaluate the improvements in quality of life and disease-related symptoms after the procedure.

Patients completed a questionnaire before treatment and three questionnaires after the procedure (immediately after the procedure, and again 4 weeks and 3 months later). Anxiety, patient understanding, procedure-related pain, and disease-related pain were assessed by a visual analog score (VAS). Complications, analgesic requirements, and satisfaction were recorded. Changes to quality of life were assessed by the validated SF36 questionnaire.

A total of 88 patients (41%) responded. Overall, disease-related pain decreased over 3 months after the procedure. Smokers had more pain both before and after the procedure (P < 0.05). Explanation was considered better if provided by radiologist (P < 0.05). Sixty-nine percent of patients found the procedures less painful (mean VAS 2.5) than they had anticipated (VAS 5.5). Fifty percent of patients experienced adverse effects related to their puncture site, but this was highest among patients who had undergone the procedure before and smokers. The greatest quality-of-life improvements were in emotional and general health. Higher levels of disease-related pain were associated with worse general, emotional, and physical health (P < 0.05).

Lower limb angioplasty provides symptomatic and quality-of-life improvements. Implementation of simple measures could improve patient satisfaction-for example, treatment should be explained by the radiologist in advance. Routine prescription of analgesics with particular attention to smokers and those undergoing repeat interventions is suggested.