Limb salvage surgery
Find a heart specialistPoor blood flow to your legs can cause pain and ulcers. When a walking program, angioplasty or stents don’t work to clear blocked arteries, Aurora's vascular surgeons are ready with limb salvage procedures.
At Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center Vascular Center, all the specialists you need are in one place, making it convenient for you to get access to care. The center includes CT scan and ultrasound suites. Tests can be reviewed right away and discussed with you at your next appointment.
What is limb salvage surgery?
An alternative to amputation, limb salvage surgery is used to improve blood flow to your leg if you have peripheral artery disease, a condition that causes pain in the calf or leg or ulcers that don’t heal.
There are several types of limb salvage surgery, including the removal of plaque from an artery or a bypass graft around the blockage in the artery of your leg. The bypass can be your own healthy vein or an artificial graft vein.
More complex surgeries bypass blood flow from the aorta to your legs or from one leg to the other. Once blood flow is restored, the pain caused by lack of flow is greatly improved and wounds heal faster.
Prior to surgery, you’ll see your physician or cardiologist to evaluate your heart and lungs. You might also need a cardiac stress test or cardiac catheterization prior to surgery.
They’ll also give you personalized guidelines to prepare for surgery including:
- Refraining from eating or drinking anything after midnight the night before your procedure
- How to get ready for your procedure including any medications you may need to stop taking
- Answers to your questions and concerns
Limb salvage surgery takes three to four hours. You’ll receive general anesthesia, so you’ll be asleep and won’t feel any pain.
Your doctor will take a vein from your leg or another area of your body to create a bypass around your occluded vessels. If taking a vein isn’t an option, an artificial bypass may be used.
Most likely you’ll stay in the hospital for two to three days after surgery. Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home.
You should be able to resume normal activities including going back to work, doing daily chores and driving again within four to six weeks.
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