Clinical Study of Peripheral Arterial Disease in Lower Limbs

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is part of a global vascular problem of diffuse atherosclerosis.PAD patients die mostly of cardiac and cerebrovascular-related events and much less frequently due to obstructive disease of the lower extremities.Aggressive risk factors modification is needed to reduce cardiac mortality in PAD patients. Aim and objectives: To study the frequency of risk factors in peripheral vascular disease, To study the clinical presentations of peripheral vascular disease, To study the imaging modalities in assessment of peripheral vascular disease, To study the responsiveness of medical therapy for this disorder.Results: It is a prospective clinical study of 50 cases of peripheral vascular disease, who are presenting to Department of Surgery, Dr.PSIMS & RF over a period of 2 years from October'2013 to September' 2015, which included 50 admitted cases in different surgical units picked randomly and study was conducted.Atherosclerosis accounted for 80% of these cases and was found to be the commonest cause of lower limb ischemia in this region.TAO accounted for 20% and was the next common cause of lower limb ischemia.82% cases were associated with diabetes mellitus.Conclusion: Peripheral vascular disease is a common surgical problem with most of the population being males and among them mainly involving the smokers.Presentation was mainly claudication pain and minor percent presented with rest pain.Arterial Doppler is a specific investigation for peripheral vascular disease Patients if present early in the disease process medical line of management like exercise, antiplatelet medication, cholesterol lowering medication and drugs like Cilostazol, pentoxiphylline have been prescribed and followed.If limb salvage was planned minor procedures like debridement, ray amputation are sufficient.If they present late in the disease process Major procedures like below knee amputation and above knee amputation helped.