Development of muscular tissue PO2 after vascular reconstructive surgery

Using a fast responding polarographic pO2-probe of the hypodermic needle type with a tip diameter of 300 microns we investigated the influence of vascular reconstructive surgery on the tissue pO2 of the tibialis ant. muscle. In 10 patients suffering from a peripheral occlusive disease state II-III according to FONTAINE measurements of tissue pO2, pain free walking distance and doppler-index were done preoperatively, 2 weeks and 6 weeks after surgery. The results show that reconstructive vascular surgery leads to an immediate improvement of the doppler-index. In contrast to that there is a time dependent increase of the mean tissue pO2 in the tibialis ant. muscle. This development of muscular oxygenation coincides with an increasing walking distance.