Peer Reviewed
Clinical case review

An 82-year-old woman with intermittent claudication

John Fletcher
Abstract
When should surgical intervention be considered for patients with intermittent claudication?
Key Points
    Case scenario

    Eighty-two-year-old Muriel has developed intermittent claudication but is otherwise fit and well. She started taking cholesterol-lowering drugs quite recently. Her history includes 20 years of smoking; however, she gave up completely 40 years ago.

    Please comment on the indications for surgery as compared with allowing nature to build collateral circulation. What are the likely outcomes for each scenario?

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