Delay in improvement of ankle-arm index and ankle waveforms after lower-extremity revascularization

Ankle-arm index (AAI) and pulse volume recording (PVR) are commonly used in the early postoperative period to measure the outcome after lower-extremity revascularization. They are also used in addition to duplex scan for long-term follow-up of these patients. We noticed that in some patients the AAI and/or PVR after revascularization procedures did not improve immediately after surgery, but took 24 hours or longer to do so. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 47 patients who underwent various lower-extremity revascularization procedures and found that out of 20 patients who had AAI and/or PVR measured in the recovery room, 8 patients took 24 hours and 1 patient took more than 24 hours for maximal improvement of their AAI and/or PVR. This may be related to vascular spasm, and knowledge of this delayed improvement is important in preventing errors during follow-up.