Case study to illustrate a multidisciplinary approach to a case of critical limb ischaemia and the role of chemical lumbar sympathectomy.

This case study illustrates the role of the Podiatrist in the primary health care team and how a multidisciplinary approach to treatment promotes successful diagnosis and treatment regimes. It also outlines the role for chemical lumbar sympathectomies in treating critical lower limb ischaemia, a procedure regarded as having been superseded by more effective treatments but which proved to be the treatment of choice in this case. The subject of this case study presented at a community podiatry clinic exhibiting the signs of acute ischaemia, together with two recently developed ulcers on her right foot. After further vascular investigations, including angiograms and doppler studies, a blockage in the popliteal artery was revealed. Due to anatomically slender arteries, angioplasty and by-pass surgery were contra indicated. A chemical lumbar sympathectomy was performed in an attempt to increase blood flow to the tissues and to reduce the extreme pain being experienced by the patient. This proved successful, allowing the lesions to heal and also the collateral circulation to develop, resulting in a re-vascularized, viable foot.