Peripheral vascular disease is common in end-stage renal failure (ESRF) affecting 24-77% of patients (Stack, 2005). Critical ischaemia (pain at rest caused by insufficient blood supply to a limb) is notoriously difficult to treat in this patient group. Advanced disease and extensive co-morbidities limit surgical revascularisation options of proximal vessels (Blankensteijn et al., 1996) and calciphylaxis (a process of calcification within the small vessels unique to patients with end-stage renal failure) has few effective treatments (Ng & Peng, 2011). Often the only treatment option is symptomatic relief with strong analgesics.