title: Pedicled omental transfer for limb salvage in Buerger's disease.
abstract: We performed pedicled omental transfer in 62 patients with Buerger's disease at the Department of Surgery, J.L.N. Hospital, Ajmer between January 1990 and December 1996. All were male and had evidence of limb ischaemia. Post-operative results in these patients consisted of relief of intermittent claudication in 92%, disappearance of rest pain in 94%, disappearance of limb coldness in 83%, disappearance of discolouration in 82%, and healing of ischaemic ulcers in 83%. Tissue oxygen saturation in the affected limb improved from a mean of 84.8+/-3.6% in the preoperative period, to 89+/-1.5% at 12 h, 93.1+/-1.8% at 72 h and 96+/-1.2% at the end of 2 months of follow-up. Claudication distance improved from a mean of 75+/-20 m in the pre-operative period to 1000+/-110 m at 2 months of follow-up in 57 of 62 patients. Major amputations were not required in any patient, thus conserving the limb. We conclude that pedicled omental transfer offers promising results in patients with limb ischaemia due to Buerger's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Ajmer (Rajasthan), India. sachintalwar@hotmail.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talwar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porwal
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Laddha
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000601:surgery; D007511:Ischemia / Q000601:surgery*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009852:Omentum / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013919:Thromboangiitis Obliterans / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome