Abstract
The installation of a Vascular Laboratory (Vascular Lab) and placement of a clinical vascular technologist (CVT) are important components in performing non-invasive examinations of vascular diseases including functional diagnosis. In 1999, a Vascular Lab was opened within the Department of Vascular Surgery at our institution, mainly to perform functional studies and obtain findings from accumulated test results. Treadmill walking tests showed an ability to evaluate walking performance and predict the effect of exercise therapy in patients with intermittent claudication. Non-invasive examinations such as ankle pressure tests, first toe pressure tests, skin perfusion pressure tests, and percutaneous oxygen partial pressure measurements for critical ischemia of the lower limbs proved useful to evaluate the curability of ischemic ulcers or amputation stumps. Particularly, the curability of a wound is low when the skin perfusion pressure and the first toe pressure are under 40 mmHg and 30 mmHg, respectively.
In Japan, characteristics of Vascular Labs vary, and their location within the hospital depends on the individual institution. Many Vascular Labs belong to clinical laboratories, while some physiological function departments are responsible for Vascular Labs. Therefore, few Vascular Labs focus on functional studies specializing in vascular surgery, and many are involved mainly in vascular ultrasound examination. There are many specialized Vascular Lab tasks which require training and laboratory technicians with advanced skills. Despite the cost, it is desirable that Vascular Labs will be established in many institutions for improved vascular care in future.
