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Question:
My mother has been diagnoised with intermittent claudication. She has had a doppler a year ago and they tried to do an arteriogram but were unable to get very far down her leg. It was extremley upsetting for her and she does not want to do it again. She is however still smoking and eating the same , now they done another doppler and say it is about the same. Now they are thinking about doing an MRI which she is also not happy with the claustrophobic part or a duplex ultrasound (could you please explain the duplex ultrasound scan). My real issue here is would it not be possible if she would give up smoking eat extremley lowfat and do the recommended exercise program for her to do as much good as anything they are going to suggest after any diagnostic testing? Are invasive test for this condition necessary? Just to note they have never even suggested th walking exercise as a theraputic measure as I have but being that she listens to doctors she awaits their next findings and probably thinks I do not know enough to be giving advice on medical matters. For the record my mother is 61 years old.
Question submitted by:
abnengr87@aol.com
| Dr. Kolvenbach |
Living and practicing in Duesseldorf, Germany, Dr. Ralf Kolvenbach serves as Chief of the Department of General and Vascular Surgery at Augusta Hospital. Dr. Kolvenbach is also a Professor of Vascular Surgery at the University of Duesseldorf. He is affiliated with the German Board of Vascular Surgery as a Fellow, the European Society of Vascular Surgery as a full member, and the Royal Society of Medicine (UK) as a Fellow, among others.
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Answer:
Intermittent claudication can be the first part of more severe problems leading to critical ischemia and limb loss. An excercise program and cessation of wsmoking would be beneficial. But she does need the MRI angio before.
