BACKGROUND: Patients treated for peripheral arterial occlusive disease with lower limb revascularization (angioplasty or grafts) were followed up for a 2-year period after treatment with vascular ultrasound (segmental spectrum analysis, SSA). OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that SSA can be used in the follow-up of patients treated for peripheral arterial occlusive disease. METHODS: The following SSA measurements were performed: peak systolic velocity (PSV), pulsatility index (PI), and flow velocity waveform (FVW). These measurements were performed and compared for each patient during the pre- and post-treatment periods (with 3-month intervals) for diagnosis of vascular patency. RESULTS: Measurements performed postoperatively in the arteries immediately distal to the treated segments showed a significant increase in PSV and PI, with a change of the FVW from a monophasic to a biphasic or triphasic configuration. PSV and PI increased, respectively, 92.26 and 98.2% (intervention in the aortoiliac segment), 112.83 and 62.39% (intervention in the femoral-popliteal segment), and 149.08 and 28.8% (in the popliteal-tibial segment). Such changes in flow velocity patterns occurred in all patients and remained almost unaltered during the period of patient follow up. When treatment failed (hemodynamically significant occlusion or stenosis), parameters fell to levels similar to those observed prior to treatment. If treatment failure was corrected by new revascularization (angioplasty or grafts), SSA parameters returned to patterns observed after initial treatment. CONCLUSION: SSA can be used in the follow-up of patients with lower limb revascularization due to peripheral arterial occlusive disease, demonstrating treatment patency and failure.
Atherosclerosis; Doppler ultrasound; ultrasound
