Possibilities at present for the application of lumbar sympathectomy in chronic occlusive arterial disease of the lower limbs.

BACKGROUND

Research on the limitations of the validity of lumbar sympathectomy in surgical treatment of lower limb occlusive arterial disease is still of great interest today.

METHODS

Our study deals with 385 patients who underwent the surgical removal of a segment which includes the 2nd and the 3rd ganglion of the lumbar sympathetic chain in the period between the month of January 1989 and the month of December 1998.

RESULTS

Results were good in 63.6% of patients and stationary in 10.53% of cases; in 26% of cases lumbar sympathectomy was not valid.

CONCLUSIONS

Satisfactory results were recorded, as will be shown in this text, on patients experiencing a period of rest pain, patients with ischaemic dystrophic lesions and those with very advanced intermittent claudication equally favourable results were seen in diabetic patients.