At the University Hospital of Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, vascular surgeons saved the leg of patient Myroslav Kukhar by using a minimally invasive procedure instead of repeating a major open operation.
The man complained of severe pain in his leg, which meant he could not even walk 100 metres. The walk to the church, located about 500 metres from his home, had turned into an ordeal with frequent stops. Later, his toes on the affected leg began to turn black. At first, he sought medical help in Stryi, from where he was referred to the University Hospital in Lviv.
Four years ago, at the same hospital, doctors had already saved his leg: surgeons performed a long autovenous femoral-popliteal bypass, creating an alternative route for blood to flow around the blocked vessel. Over time, the bypass stopped functioning properly and the symptoms returned.
This time, the doctors decided not to perform another extensive open operation and not to create a new bypass. Instead, they chose a minimally invasive approach: through a small puncture, they inserted a special balloon into the vessel, dilated it from the inside and restored the blood supply to the leg.
According to the head of vascular surgery at the University Hospital, Borys Dyachyshyn, patients often seek help too late, when blackening of the toes has already appeared.
“Most of our patients stay at home until the very last moment and only come to us when their toes have already turned black. People often think these are joint pains, although in reality they are ischaemic pains caused by vascular problems,” — Borys Dyachyshyn.
Already on the second day after the procedure, Myroslav Kukhar was able to get up and walk on his own. Now he can reach the church without stopping, something he had previously been unable to do because of the pain.
The vascular surgeons at the University Hospital stress that leg pain while walking, which forces a person to stop frequently, is not always related to the joints. It may indicate serious circulatory disorders, especially if there are wounds that take a long time to heal, changes in the colour of the toes, or pain that persists even at rest.