Hi chick
OH had a black toe! Emergency referral to hospital, followed by stents in both iliac arteries ( one of the arteries that go down the leg). We didn't know there was a problem with the right leg, but they did it as blood flow was restricted. As far as I know this was just done, but may have used local.
This wasn't enough treatment for the left leg, though foot was noticeably warmer! Three weeks later he went back in to have a femero - popliteal vein graft, which means they took a vein from the calf and used it to create a new pathway for the blood to flow down the femoral artery, another of the arteries of the leg.
This is a more major operation ( the scar on his thigh is a foot long), but dont know what anaesthetic they used. He was in hospital a week. The actual operation was fine, but the standard of nursing care was appalling, though I vented a lot on here still the time ( a year ago).
When he came out go hospital his bladder and brain had got disconnected, so to speak, but got that sorted in a month. The wound also got infected, completely a nurses fault, so we had DN visiting for the next 2 months,
Up til now his leg has been fine, but foot has gone cold again. Have a routine appt with consultant next week, so will see.
But on the whole, the thing went well. If it fails, and it does, not sure where we go next. Will need to look at options for 82yo advanced dementia sufferer. Could be a family conference!