Interpretation and consideration of the Society for Vascular Surgery practice guidelines for atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the lower extremities management of asymptomatic disease and claudication

Abstract

Atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the lower extremities (ASO-LE) has the third highest rate among systematic atherosclerosis obliterans, ranking after coronary heart disease and stoke, and the disease burden of ASO-LE has been continuously increasing. Invasive revascularizations, which is presented by endovascular therapy technique, has undergone a dramatic development in the past couples of decades. However, controversy concerned about the surgical management and operative indications has heated up in the meanwhile. Thus Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) published the practice guidelines for ASO-LE with asymptomatic disease and claudication in March, 2015. At the first time the guideline definitely opposed the aggressive invasive revascularization for ASO-LE patients with asymptomatic disease or claudication under satisfied tolerance. Instead, it posed the extreme emphasis on the pharmacotherapy with risk reduction of atherosclerosis at the core and the exercise therapy with supervised or home-based exercise program at the core for ASO-LE patients with asymptomatic disease and claudication.