A revolutionary treatment to treat blood vessel disease could bring hope to 5,000 Britons who are at risk of amputation each year

People at risk of losing a limb due to severe circulatory problems could be spared a life-changing amputation thanks to a revolutionary treatment.

The new procedure, called LimFlow, treats a type of blood vessel condition called critical limb ischemia, in which blockages in the arteries cut off blood flow to the legs and feet.

The condition, usually caused by lifestyle factors, has a serious impact on mobility and around 5,000 people in the UK require amputations each year.

But an American study shows that three-quarters of patients can keep their legs with LimFlow.

Around 30 NHS patients have already undergone the treatment as part of an ongoing study in which surgeons insert tiny tubes into the leg which direct blood flow around the blockages to restore the foot’s supply. Although the results of this study have yet to be published, the procedure has been deemed so effective that three NHS hospitals have requested that the technology continue to be used.

The condition, which is usually caused by lifestyle factors, severely affects mobility and around 5,000 people in the UK undergo an amputation each year

Experts believe it could now be available on the NHS within two years.

“LimFlow is a new alternative to major amputations, offering hope where there was none before,” said Dr. Mehdi Shishehbor, a cardiologist at the Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, who led the US study. “The results of this study are excellent and it is very clear that LimFlow is an effective tool to prevent amputation.”

Critical limb ischaemia affects around 60,000 people in the UK each year. Fatty deposits build up in the veins of the legs, causing the blood vessels to constrict over time and reducing blood flow to the legs and feet. This means wounds and ulcers heal slowly and life-threatening infections become more likely.

Although there are a number of treatments, including placing a stent – a small mesh tube – in the artery to widen the blood vessel, these are often unsuccessful.

In the LimFlow procedure, which is performed under local anaesthetic, two tubes are inserted into the patient – ​​one through the groin and one through the ankle. When the tubes meet at the site of the blockage, they are connected, allowing blood to flow around the buildup of debris.