Vascular surgery: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Vascular surgery

Sample item

A 28-year-old heavy smoker has calf claudication, ulcers on his toes and a history of migratory superficial thrombophlebitis. Which intervention is the most important to slow the disease?

ALong-term warfarinBStatin therapy aloneCFemoropopliteal bypassDComplete cessation of tobacco use

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Complete cessation of tobacco use

This is thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger disease), an inflammatory occlusion of small and medium arteries and veins strongly linked to tobacco. Complete abstinence is the only measure proven to halt progression and reduce the risk of amputation.

Option by option

A. Long-term warfarin
Anticoagulation does not influence an inflammatory vasculopathy.
B. Statin therapy alone
Statins treat atherosclerosis, but they do not stop this tobacco-related disease.
C. Femoropopliteal bypass
Distal disease with no suitable target vessels is rarely bypassable, and surgery fails if smoking continues.
D. Complete cessation of tobacco use (correct)
Correct. Stopping all tobacco is the only treatment that alters the course of Buerger disease.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is D, Complete cessation of tobacco use. This is thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger disease), an inflammatory occlusion of small and medium arteries and veins strongly linked to tobacco.

Why is "Long-term warfarin" not the answer?

Anticoagulation does not influence an inflammatory vasculopathy.

Why is "Statin therapy alone" not the answer?

Statins treat atherosclerosis, but they do not stop this tobacco-related disease.

Why is "Femoropopliteal bypass" not the answer?

Distal disease with no suitable target vessels is rarely bypassable, and surgery fails if smoking continues.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Vascular surgery in General Surgery. Complete abstinence is the only measure proven to halt progression and reduce the risk of amputation.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Vascular surgery?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.