FIVE-YEAR CONSERVATIVE THERAPY RESULTS IN PATIENTS WITH LOWER EXTREMITY ARTERIAL ATHEROSCLEROSIS AT CRITICAL ISCHEMIA STAGE

Aim.To estimate the remote results of conservative treatment and 5-year follow-up observation in 34 patients with stage III chronic ischemia against the background of atherosclerosis. Materials and methods. The group of comparison included 21 men and 13 women with a mean age of 68.1 ± 4.8 years, who were treated from 2010 to 2015. All the patients were studied using 3 km/h speed treadmill-test up to occurrence of pain in the lower extremities, as well as ultrasonic scintiangiography and Doppler investigation of leg arteries. A mean ± standard deviations with confidence interval of 90 and 95 % was determined. For repeated measurements Wilcoxon test was used. To analyze dependencies, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient with significance level of 0,05 was applied. Results. Survival rate in the group of the examined patients was 88 %, extremity was preserved in 82 % of patients observed. Painless walking distance increased by 15 meters ( p = 0.05). Significant changes in linear blood flow velocity and malleolar-shoulder index were detected. Conclusions. The obtained data were considered as a moderate improvement in 24 % of observations. Satisfactory result was reached in 44 % of patients, deterioration - 6 % of cases, unsatisfactory result of treatment - 26 %.

Atherosclerosis, lower extremity “critical ischemia”, conservative treatment