DOES THE LIMB SWELL AFTER REVASCULARIZATION BY PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL ANGIOPLASTY

Objective: To discover if limb swelling occurs after successful revasc ularisation by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Design: Pr ospective Study. Setting: Vascular Laboratory. Materials: Twenty-Jive patients with occlusive arterial disease of the lower limb revasculari sed by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty were studied. Chief Outco me Measures: The ankle/brachial pressure index and foot volumes measur ed by tenter displacement plethysmography were measured before and aft er 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 d ay (p < 0.001) compared with the contralateral leg. Conclusions: Leg s welling is a consequence of revascularisation of the ischaemic limb an d occurs in the absence of damage to the lymphatic drainage of the lim b.