Patients' feelings and experiences during and after peripheral percutaneous transluminal angioplasty

BackgroundPeripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) often caused by atherosclerosis is a major health care issue worldwide. Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA) on the lower limb is a common procedure used to enhance peripheral circulation. With an increasing number of individuals acquiring peripheral PTA treatment and with an increased focus on patient centred care, there is a need to find out more about patients' feelings and thoughts of undergoing PTA.AimThe aim was to identify patients who are predominantly anxious or calm during and after peripheral PTA and to explore reasons for these feelings.MethodThe study includes 51 patients who received PTA treatment in western Sweden.FindingsSeventy-eight percent of the patients rated themselves as calm after the PTA. The analysed interviews resulted in two themes: reasons for feelings of calmness and reasons for feelings of anxiety.ConclusionIn order to feel calm during and after the PTA, information given prior to the PTA needs to be comprehensive and consistent with the actual situation at the angiography suite. The dialogue with the physician and the radiographers was considered valuable, as was the ability to follow the procedure on the image screen. It is concluded that a thorough dialogue with the physician in a calm setting after the PTA is important for the patients' ability to foresee and plan for the future. Moreover, there is a need to find ways to improve analgesic routines regarding assessment and evaluation in connection with PTA treatment as pain is shown to increase anxiety.