Peripheral Vascular Disease

Also known as Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is the narrowing of arteries that results in poor blood flow to your arms and legs. When you walk or exercise, your leg muscles do not get enough blood and you can get painful cramps. The condition is caused when blockage occurs in the arteries which carry blood, rich in oxygen and nutrients, from the heart to the rest of the body.

Angioplasty/Stent: Angioplasty is usually done without an incision under local anesthesia where an balloon is inserted into the narrowed portion of the blood vessel to treat peripheral vascular disease. The balloon is inflated and the plaque that has narrowed the artery is pushed aside widening of the artery to its normal size.  The procedure may be in an angiography suite or in the operating room. It is usually done with sedation and local anesthesia. Contrast dye is also administered during this procedure. A stent is a mesh like tube or scaffold. This is used to reinforce an area that is treated with angioplasty and further forces the plaque that narrows an artery up against the wall of the artery. Some stents are treated with drugs. These drugs prevent
re-narrowing the area treated with a stent. They have been found in studies to have a significant effect upon this
re-scarring in the coronary arteries, however, to date they have not been shown to benefit patients with stenosis in the peripheral circulation.

Atherectomy: Atherectomy is the removal of an atherosclerotic plaque. A tiny cutting blade is inserted into the artery to cut the plaque away. It is also done without an incision. The principle of this procedure is similar to the angioplasty/stent procedure.

Click here for information on pre-operative protocols, hospital course and discharge instructions.

Leg Bypass: Angioplasty is usually done without an incision under local anesthesia where an balloon is inserted into the narrowed portion of the blood vessel to treat peripheral vascular disease. The balloon is inflated and the plaque that has narrowed the artery is pushed aside widening of the artery to its normal size. The procedure may be in an angiography suite or in the operating room. It is usually done with sedation and local anesthesia. Contrast dye is also administered during this procedure. A stent is a mesh like tube or scaffold. This is used to

If surgery is required for this condition click here for information on pre-operative protocols, day of surgery hospital course and discharge instructions.

Before Angioplasty and Stent (left) there is a long segment of occluded femoral artery. After the procedure (right) the artery is normal.

reinforce an area that is treated with angioplasty and further forces the plaque that narrows an artery up against the wall of the artery. Some stents are treated with drugs. These drugs prevent re-narrowing the area treated with a stent. They have been found in studies to have a significant effect upon this re-scarring in the coronary arteries, however, to date they have not been shown to benefit patients with stenosis in the peripheral circulation.