Peripheral Arterial Disease Treatment

Arteries are responsible for carrying nutrient-rich blood from the heart to the organs and tissue — from your head to your toes. When the condition of the artery is such that it cannot do its job efficiently, it’s called arterial disease.

Atherosclerosis

The term atherosclerosis is used to refer to a buildup of plaque in the arteries which can restrict flow in them. Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems, including stroke and heart attack and non-healing wounds on limbs. Arteries leading to the heart, the brain, extremities and the kidneys are often affected. When an artery becomes blocked by plaque it can affect the organs or limbs where the blood goes. For example, a blockage in an artery in the leg can cause limb pain or wounds not to heal. Vascular surgeons fix these blockages so that flow can be restored.

Risk Factors for Artery Disease

People at Risk :

Smoker | Overweight | High Cholesterol | High Blood Pressure

Peripheral Arterial Disease

Disease of the arteries, which carry blood to the extremities, is called PAD or peripheral arterial disease. Many patients complain of pain while walking a small distance (called claudication) or a wound that simply will not heal. A simple blood pressure cuff test will identify risk for peripheral arterial disease and ankle-brachial index (ABI) testing can predict the severity of the disease. Normally, the blood pressure in the arm should equal the blood pressure in the ankle. If it doesn’t, this is a simple way to suggest that further workup is necessary.

Treatment

Once a diagnosis is confirmed, an endovascular first approach is taken to help correct underlying PAD. This means that with new technology, a minimally invasive approach to eliminate a blockage is performed through wires, balloons, stents and other plaque removal methods. Open surgical techniques can also be used, when necessary, to correct a blockage.