Intermittent claudication: clinical effectiveness of endovascular revascularization versus supervised hospital-based exercise training--randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To compare clinical success, functional capacity, and quality of life during 12 months after revascularization or supervised exercise training in patients with intermittent claudication.

Materials And Methods: This study had institutional review board approval, and all patients gave written informed consent. Between September 2002 and September 2005, 151 consecutive patients who presented with symptoms of intermittent claudication were randomly assigned to undergo either endovascular revascularization (angioplasty-first approach) (n = 76) or hospital-based supervised exercise (n = 75).

Cost-effectiveness of endovascular revascularization compared to supervised hospital-based exercise training in patients with intermittent claudication: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The optimal first-line treatment for intermittent claudication is currently unclear.

Objective: To compare the cost-effectiveness of endovascular revascularization vs supervised hospital-based exercise in patients with intermittent claudication during a 12-month follow-up period.

Design: Randomized controlled trial with patient recruitment between September 2002-September 2006 and a 12-month follow-up per patient.

Intermittent claudication: functional capacity and quality of life after exercise training or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty--systematic review.

Purpose: To systematically review published data about the short- and long-term effects of exercise training and angioplasty on functional capacity and quality of life of patients with intermittent claudication.

Materials And Methods: Articles published between January 1980 and February 2003 were included if patients had intermittent claudication treated with exercise training or angioplasty and if both functional capacity and quality-of-life scores from Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form health survey were reported for at least 3 months of follow-up. Data were pooled by using a random effects model and weighted means.

The vascular nurse in practice: Results of prescribed exercise training in patients with intermittent claudication.

Intermittent claudication (IC) is a mild stage of peripheral arterial disease that affects between 3% and 7% of the population and up to 1 in 5 patients over the age of 75 years. Risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and genetics increase the incidence of peripheral arterial disease. Patients with IC have limitations in functional capacity and can benefit from regular exercise.

Subfascial ligation of the incompetent short saphenous vein: technical success measured by duplex sonography.

The aim of this prospective study was to assess the technical success of subfascial ligation of the short saphenous vein (SSV) in patients with SSV varices by postoperative duplex sonography. From January 1997 to October 2000, 28 patients (9 men and 19 women; mean age 56 years, range 32-72) underwent sapheno-popliteal ligation for incompetence of the sapheno-popliteal junction (SPJ). Four patients had operations on both limbs.