[Doppler ultrasound monitoring during vascular interventions].

Doppler ultrasound examination as diagnostic device in angiology yields only discontinuous information on flow velocities in vessels during insonation with hand-held probes. Continuous insonation and therefore determination of flow velocities in arteries are necessary to evaluate flow disturbances and changes of flow velocities during radiologic invasive interventions, i.e. implantation of stents, during percutaneous transluminal angioplasty therapy or local lysis. This modification of Doppler ultrasound examination is already used in neurosurgery for permanent monitoring of flow velocities in large brain vessels in one or both hemispheres during therapy. In our institute we developed a probe holder device to fix a miniature Doppler ultrasound probe (8-MHZ pulsed-wave probe) on the skin surface. Therefore continuous insonation during the manipulations is easy to realize. Information about complications such as occlusions, thrombi, emboli and changes in flow velocity is immediately present on the screen. We have monitored 40 patients during radiologic interventional therapy in arteries of the lower limb. Complications during the interventions were detected immediately and could be corrected.