Patient Testimonial for Lower Limb Angioplasty Toe Amputation and Skin Grafting

Gangrene is a condition wherein the body tissue dies due to a lack of blood flow or bacterial infection. A CT angiogram was performed, which revealed SFA Popliteal Disease (blockage of the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries).

The doctor advised the patient to have lower limb angioplasty, in which the catheter is a thin tube that is put into the artery and directed toward the blocked area. In order to reach the obstructed location, a guide wire was first placed, then a stent.

The blocked artery is then cleared by expanding the stent, allowing blood flow to resume. The catheter and guidewire are removed, leaving the stent in its original position.

Due to the presence of severe gangrene, the toe had to be amputated. Although the circulation initially improved, the wound did not heal because of an underlying condition known as small vessel vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels). Skin grafting was performed with the assistance of a plastic surgeon, in which a patch of skin is removed from one area of the body and stitched to another to seal the wound.

The patient was monitored at the hospital for two days and was advised to remain in bed for another week. The wound healed completely and the patient was able to walk normally 10 days following the treatment.