Comparative of blood flow to the ankle-brachial index after iliac angioplasty.

BACKGROUND

Interest of blood flow and ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) to evaluate result of iliac angioplasty.

METHODS

ABPI and blood flow rates were measured before and after angioplasty in 22 lower extremities of 16 patients with iliac stenosis. Blood flow rates were determined by means of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) flow meter.

RESULTS

The day after angioplasty, flow and pressure were increasing significantly, whereas a month later, only blood flow was increasing significantly. In a group of patients with near-normal ABPI before angioplasty (ABPI > or = 0.8), there was, on the day following the angioplasty, a significant increase in ABPI and pulsatile blood flow rates; flow rates increased considerably a month after the operation whereas ABPI stay stable. In a group of patients with clearly abnormal ABPI before angioplasty (ABPI <0.80), there was a significant increase in ABPI and blood flow rates the day after angioplasty and again a month later.

CONCLUSIONS

Flow therefore seems to vary independently of pressure. The possible use of flow measurement to detect restenoses is yet to be studied.