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SKIN BLOOD FLOW MEASUREMENT WITH XENON‐133 TO PREDICT HEALING OF LOWER EXTREMITY AMPUTATIONS
Author(s) -
Harris J. P.,
McLaughlin A. F.,
Quinn R. J.,
Page S.,
May J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1986.tb02342.x
Subject(s) - medicine , amputation , blood flow , wound healing , surgery
Many techniques have been proposed to help the surgeon select the most distal amputation level that will heal. Skin blood flow measurement with xenon‐133( 133 Xe) is one of the best documented predictors of amputation healing, but the lowest flow consistent with healing has not been agreed upon. Our early experience with the method is reported. Skin blood flow was measured in 16 patients undergoing 17 lower extremity amputations. Twelve amputations healed (mean skin blood flow 3.69± 2.73 ml/100 g of tissue/min) and five failed (mean skin blood flow 0.80 ± 0.61 ml/100 g of tissue/min) (P < 0.05). No amputation healed if the skin blood flow was less than 1.0 ml/100 g of tissue/min. A skin blood flow above 1 ml/100 g of tissue/min, measured with 133 Xe, may be a useful guide to the level at which to amputate while minimizing unnecessary proximal amputation, but the method requies further prospective evaluation.