Hemodynamic assessment of transluminal angioplasty for lower extremity ischemia.

Seventy-two patients underwent hemodynamic testing before and after treatment for occlusive disease of their lower extremities. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was used to treat lesions in 26 iliac segments and produced 23 initially improved ankle or upper thigh indices, two hemodynamic failures, and one technical failure; PTA for 54 femoropopliteal lesions produced initial hemodynamic improvement in 41 cases, three hemodynamic failures, and ten technical failures. Hemodynamic follow-up of the iliac segments showed improvement in 25 (92%) as measured by the systolic pressure index of the ankle; follow-up of the femoropopliteal segments showed continued patency of 41 (65.9%). The authors analyze these hemodynamic data.