Endoluminal Therapy in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease: Prospective Assessment of Quality of Life in 190 Patients

The objective of our study was to assess the impact of endoluminal treatment on health-related quality of life in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Changes in quality of life were prospectively evaluated in 190 patients before and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Physical, emotional, and general health components were determined using the short-form (36 items) health survey (SF-36). Claudicant patients were compared with patients who had critical limb ischemia. The influence of the lesion location (iliac, femoropopliteal, or crural) restenosis, and additional interventions on quality of life were evaluated. Six- and 12-month follow-up data were available for 136 and 103 patients, respectively. Significant improvements in quality of life were observed in most of the patients after the intervention. Many of the SF-36 scores decreased from the 6- to the 12-month follow-up but remained significantly higher than the score before the intervention. Reduction of bodily pain was the most evident effect of treatment. Claudicant patients seemed to benefit more from treatment than patients with critical limb ischemia. In terms of SF-36 scores, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the crural arteries was equally as effective as endoluminal revascularization of the iliac and femoropopliteal arteries and multilevel interventions were as effective as single-level interventions. The occurrence of a restenosis was significantly related to lower SF-36 scores, and restenosis not followed by a second intervention was associated with lower SF-36 scores. Although there were several differences between the groups, significant improvements in quality of life up to 12 months after endoluminal therapy were observed in most patients.