Doppler ultrasound can provide a cost-effective tool in ensuring verification of vascular blood flow during vascular surgery, enabling surgeons to ‘close with confidence’. So, should the philosophy shift towards physiologic assessment first and imaging second?
How can we 'close with confidence'? This is the key question faced by surgical teams when performing vascular procedures. Quality control is vital when performing surgery, if secondary intervention and re-operation are to be avoided. Reliable and safe verification of vascular blood flow, during surgical procedures, gives surgeons the reassurance they need that the procedure has been performed satisfactorily. But what is the optimum method for completion quality assessment and what is actually happening in practice?
Currently, the main options available include pulse palpation; completion angiography; intraoperative Duplex ultrasound; Intraoperative Doppler and other technologies. The pros and cons of these various approaches are shown in Table 1.
Both the European Society for Vascular Surgery and the Society for Vascular Surgery have produced guidelines on many vascular procedures, including managing acute and chronic limb ischaemia, carotid artery disease and mesenteric artery disease.1,2 All recommend some sort of assessment after the arterial reconstruction has been completed, mostly suggesting that angiography or Duplex ultrasound are used.
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.
