Arginine and wound healing in patients with critical limb ischaemia recovering from a bypass graft

Patients with critical lower-limb ischaemia admitted to RGH for a bypass graft will be invited to participate in a study investigating the effect of a diet that is enriched with arginine on the time taken for the surgical wound to heal. Participants will be allocated at random to receive either a standard hospital diet with 2 Arginine-enriched supplements or a standard hospital diet with 2 standard nutritional supplements, that are equal in energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. In addition to the time taken for the wound to heal, participants will also have their nutritional health measured via body weight, dietary intake and arm muscle stores. Quality of life will also be measured.