Related Experiment Videos
Does the limb swell after revascularisation by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty?
Objective:
To discover if limb swelling occurs after successful revascularisation by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA).
Design:
Prospective Study.
Setting:
Vascular Laboratory.
Materials:
Twenty-five patients with occlusive arterial disease of the lower limb revascularised by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty were studied.
Chief Outcome Measures:
The ankle/brachial pressure index and foot volumes measured by water displacement plethysmography were measured before and after PTA.
Main Results:
The volume of the revascularised limb increased by 2% on the first day postangioplasty (p = 0.009) and 4% on the 7th day (p < 0.001) compared with the contralateral leg.
Conclusions:
Leg swelling is a consequence of revascularisation of the ischaemic limb and occurs in the absence of damage to the lymphatic drainage of the limb.