title: [Acceptance and effectiveness of surgical vascular consultation--is it worthwhile?].
abstract: In a retrospective analysis the meaning of the vascular outpatient clinic and the follow-up after vascular reconstructive surgery were investigated. 6889 patients were checked within 8 1/2 years in the vascular consultant hour of the Marien-Hospital Düsseldorf with a fixed diagnostic schedule related to the vascular surgery. More than 40% of the patients did not have any vascular disease. Only 6.5% of the 276 patients with aortoiliac reconstructive surgery visited the follow-up terms regularly. The additional vascular training group was visited by only 1.2%. While 93 patients (33.7%) were hospitalized to further treatment because of new clinical findings, 54 patients got another vascular reconstruction and 12 patients were operated because of secondary disease. In 12 cases (10.5%) we found a clinical asymptomatic deterioration of the vascular status. The vascular consultant hour is time-consuming and expensive. The important task is the differentiation of vascular clinical findings. Although the acceptance and the effectiveness are disappointing the vascular outpatient clinic and the long-term follow-up after reconstructive vascular surgery is necessary for the improvement of the quality of care of the department and for acquiring new knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Chirurgie, Marien-Hospital Düsseldorf.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Graupe
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwenk
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Mackrodt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stock
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*