Intermittent claudication is a condition that arises due to damage to the blood vessels of the lower limbs. Symptoms of the pathology include: weakness in the legs during movement, pain in the lower limbs, a feeling of cold and tingling, with the pathology manifesting only during movement; at rest, the patient feels nothing.
The condition can be so advanced that the patient cannot walk even 100 meters without pain; the pain syndrome is not always present, and the patient complains that their legs literally buckle.
At the “Top Ihilov” Medical Center, a team of specialists treats intermittent claudication, consisting of: an angi surgeon, a neurosurgeon, an orthopedist, a dietitian, an endocrinologist, and other doctors. Thanks to excellent multi-level diagnostics, it is possible to determine the cause of intermittent claudication and eliminate it. The medical center employs only highly qualified doctors who have been operating on patients for many years and restoring their health.
Intermittent Claudication: Treatment Options at the “Top Ihilov” Medical Center
Treatment fully depends on the results of diagnostics; in cases of reversible processes in the vessels, conservative therapy may be indicated. This includes: physiotherapy, medication, a balanced diet, occupational therapy, and therapeutic exercise. In cases of minor damage, conservative treatment yields very good results.
If the condition cannot be treated conservatively, surgical treatment is performed.
The following surgical interventions are performed at the “Top Ihilov” Medical Center:
- sympathectomy (lumbar and periarterial);
- various types of endarterectomy (removal of the inner layer of the vessel);
- reconstructive surgeries (various prosthetics of damaged vessels);
- procedures to improve and restore collateral blood flow (omentum transplantation, osteotrepanning, autotransplantation of soft tissues, stem cell treatment, compactotomy, etc.);
- shunting;
- angioplasty;
Intermittent Claudication: Diagnostics at the “Top Ihilov” Medical Center
Great attention is paid to diagnostics, as the treatment program is based on the results of the examination. The main diagnostic methods include:
- examination and medical history collection;
- auscultation of the leg arteries at typical points;
- functional testing;
- determination of the ankle-brachial index (blood pressure in the arm and ankle should be the same);
- biochemical and general blood tests;
- magnetic resonance angiography;
- duplex scanning;
- contrast angiography;
- CT and some others, as indicated.