[The importance of assessing the "quality of life" in surgical interventions for critical lower limb ischaemia].

'Patency' and 'limb salvage' are not automatically valid parameters when the functional outcome of treatment for critical limb ischaemia is assessed. In a small number of patients the functional result is not favourable despite the anatomical patency and limb salvage. The considerable investment of human/financial resources in the treatment of these patients is retrospectively questionable in such cases. Quality of Life questionnaires give valuable information on the functional outcome of any means of treatment for critical ischaemia. The problem with the generic tools in one particular sub-group of patients is the reliability and validity of the tests. The first disease-specific test in critical limb ischaemia is the King's College Vascular Quality of Life (VascuQoL) Questionnaire. Its use is recommended in patients with critical lower limb ischaemia. It is very useful for scientific reporting and is able to show retrospectively that particular group of patients in whom the technical success of the treatment did not result in improvement in quality of life. In general practice the use of the questionnaire can decrease the factor of subjectivity in the assessment of the current status of a patient with newly diagnosed or previously treated critical ischaemia.