ANKLE-ARM INDEX, ANGIOGRAPHY, AND DUPLEX ULTRASONOGRAPHY AFTER RECANALIZATION OF OCCLUSIONS IN FEMOROPOPLITEAL ARTERIES - COMPARISON OF LONG-TERM RESULTS

Purpose: Comparison of the relative values of the ankle-arm index (AAI ) at rest and after exercise, angiography, and duplex ultrasonography for the follow-up of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in pa tients with peripheral vascular disease. Methods: Thirty-two patients were prospectively followed after technically and clinically successfu l PTA of a femoropopliteal occlusion. The patency of the femoropoplite al artery was assessed for 1 year using AAI measurements at rest and a fter exercise; duplex ultrasonography at 4, 12, 24, 36, and 52 weeks; and angiography at 3 and 12 months after PTA. Results: Patency was hig hly dependent on the measurement technique. The cumulative patency aft er 1 year determined with the AAI at rest and during exercise, by angi ography, and by duplex ultrasonography was 74%, 19%, 31%, and 32%, res pectively. Seventy five percent of the restenoses occurred at the site of the treated occlusion. Conclusion: Duplex ultrasonography is most suitable for this assessment, as it causes no patient discomfort and t he specificity is better than AAI after exercise because vascular dise ase in other, proximal segments does not interfere with the results.