The effects of successful intervention on quality of life in patients withvarying degrees of lower-limb ischaemia

Objectives: to assess the quality of life after successful intervention amo ng patients with varying degrees of lower-limb ischaemia in comparison with healthy controls and the respondents' degree of sense of coherence. Materials and methods: one hundred and twelve patients and 102 healthy cont rols were assessed for quality of life (Nottingham Health Profile) and sens e of coherence. Main results: successful angioplasty or surgical intervention led to an imp roved quality of life at 6 months, in particular with regard to pain, sleep , physical mobility, hobbies and holiday and to a level similar to healthy controls in sleep, social isolation, paid employment and family relationshi ps. It remained at a significantly lower level than that of healthy control s with regard to pain, emotional reactions, physical mobility, energy, hous ework, hobbies, holidays, sex and social life. Critical ischaemia patients did not reach the same level of quality of life as the claudicants or the h ealthy controls. Conclusion: successful treatment for chronic limb ischaemia improved the qu ality of life significantly, more so in claudicants than in patients with c ritical ischaemia. The degree to which the quality of life improved was ass ociated with the patients' sense of coherence and their ankle pressure.