Objectives: to assess the quality of life after successful intervention among patients with varying degrees of lower-limb ischaemia in comparison with healthy controls and the respondents>> degree of sense of coherence.
Materials and methods: one hundred and twelve patients and 102 healthy controls were assessed for quality of life (Nottingham Health Profile) and sense of coherence.
Main results: successful angioplasty or surgical intervention led to an improved quality of life at 6 months, in particular with regard to pain, sleep, physical mobility, hobbies and holiday and to a level similar to healthy controls in sleep, social isolation, paid employment and family relationships. It remained at a significantly lower level than that of healthy controls with regard to pain, emotional reactions, physical mobility, energy, housework, hobbies, holidays, sex and social life. Critical ischaemia patients did not reach the same level of quality of life as the claudicants or the healthy controls.
Conclusion: successful treatment for chronic limb ischaemia improved the quality of life significantly, more so in claudicants than in patients with critical ischaemia. The degree to which the quality of life improved was associated with the patients>> sense of coherence and their ankle pressure.
Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.