Chronic impairment of leg muscle blood flow following cardiac catheterization in childhood.

In 99 patients with congenital heart defects of chronic respiratory disease without clinical symptoms of disturbances in peripheral circulation, resting and maximal blood flow in the anterior tibial muscle of both extremities were investigated 2.7 years (average) after cardiac catheterization. The method used involved 133Xe clearance. Resting blood flow was normal and no difference could be demonstrated between the extremity originally used for catheterization and the contralateral control extremity. No disturbance in maximal blood flow could be proved in the extremity used for catheterization by the venous route only. Maximal blood flow was significantly lower in that extremity where the femoral artery had been catheterized or cannulated for pressure measurement and blood sampling. The disturbance in maximal flow was shown regardless of whether the arterial catheterization involved the Seldinger percutaneous technique, arteriotomy, or mere cannulation of the femoral artery. The values in the involved extremity did not differ significantly from the values in a healthy population.