A comparison of proximal with distal arterial reconstruction in the treatment of advanced lower limb ischaemia

The epidemiology of lower limb ischaemia in a new South Wales rural community

A cross-sectional survey was carried out in the Bangalow Valley on the far north coast of new South Wales to determine the prevalence of lower limb ischaemia. A study was made of 80.2% of the population aged thirty years and over. The presence or absence of peripheral vascular disease was determined by clinical history, clinical examination, and measurement of peripheral arterial pressures with a Doppler ultrasonic velocity detector. Twelve out of 232 (5.2%) males and seven out of 282 (2.5%) females had symptomatic lower limb ischaemia. From these data the predicted incidence of lower limb ischaemia in the sixth and seventh decades in New South Wales is 40/10,000/year in males and 14.5/10,000/year in females. These N.S.W. data re compared with studies in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Switzerland, and similarities are noted indicating the universal nature of lower limb atherosclerosis in developed countries.