Comparative of blood flow to the ankle-brachial index after iliac angioplasty

Background. Interest of blood now and ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) to evaluate result of iliac angioplasty. Methods. ABPI and blood flow rates were measured before and after angioplas ty in 22 lower extremities of 16 patients with iliac stenosis. Blood flow r ates were determined by means of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) flow me ter. Results. The day after angioplasty, flow and pressure were increasing signi ficantly, whereas a month later, only blood now was increasing significantl y. In a group of patients with near-normal ABPI before angioplasty (ABPI > 0.8), there was, on the day following the angioplasty, a significant increa se in ABPI and pulsatile blood flow rates; flow rates increased considerabl y a month after the operation whereas ABPI stay stable. In a group of patie nts with clearly abnormal ABPI before angioplasty (ABPI < 0.80), there was a significant increase in ABPI and blood flow rates the day after angioplas ty and again a month later. Conclusions. Flow therefore seems to vary independently of pressure. The po ssible use of now measurement to detect restenoses is yet to be studied.