Effect of femoral profundaplasty on blood flow.

The effect of femoral profundaplasty on blood flow in the lower limb was examined. In 15 patients with signs and symptoms of femoropopliteal artery occlusion, the following measurements were made before and after profundaplasty with vein-patch graft: ankle pressure index, muscle blood flow at rest and with maximal exercise (xenon clearance technique), and blood flow in the calf and in the great toe (venous occlusion plethysmography). No significant change was found in resting muscle blood flow, or in the results of calf or toe plethysmography. Muscle blood flow was significantly (p less than 0.01) increased 1 minute after maximal ischemic exercise (6.3 +/- 2.0 ml/100 g X min-1 before operation and 10.4 +/- 3.9 after) and the time to reach peak muscle blood flow after tourniquet release was significantly reduced (p less than 0.01) after operation, from 149 +/- 52 to 102 +/- 46 seconds. Ankle pressure index was unchanged by profundaplasty (0.63 +/- 0.17). All of the six patients with claudication were subjectively improved, and in seven of the nine patients with foot ischemia the limb was saved. The changes in blood flow help to explain the clinical improvement noted after profundaplasty.