Structured Educational Program vs Standard Care in Pre-surgical Critical Limb Ischemia Patients

A comprehensive 12-month educational program combining face-to-face and digital learning modalities. Components include: weekly interactive group sessions (4 weeks) led by vascular specialists covering disease pathophysiology, risk factor modification, and treatment options; digital platform access with multimedia educational materials, printed educational materials for home reference; peer support group participation; medical hotline access for patient-initiated consultations and urgent questions; smoking cessation counseling; supervised exercise program recommendations; wound care training. The program emphasizes patient self-management skills, early recognition of complications, and adherence to medical therapy alongside standard clinical care.

Routine clinical management for critical limb ischemia according to current standard of care guidelines. Includes vascular surgery consultation, standard medical therapy (antiplatelet agents, statins, antihypertensive medications as indicated), routine wound care instructions, general lifestyle counseling typically provided during clinical encounters, and scheduled follow-up appointments as clinically indicated. No structured educational materials, formal patient education sessions, or additional follow-up contacts beyond routine clinical care are provided. Patients receive standard verbal and written discharge instructions and have access to the same medical and surgical treatments as the intervention group when clinically warranted.