Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is the narrowing of peripheral arteries due to atherosclerosis (plaque buildup on arterial walls) decreasing blood flow to legs, feet, and toes. Left untreated, PAD complications include critical limb ischemia, gangrene, and amputation.

PAD Symptoms

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is the narrowing of peripheral arteries due to atherosclerosis (plaque buildup on arterial walls) decreasing blood flow to legs, feet, and toes. Left untreated, PAD complications include critical limb ischemia, gangrene, and amputation.

• Claudication (leg pain)
• Leg weakness and/or numbness
• Foot sores that won't heal
• Discoloration of skin in the foot
• Slower growth of hair or nails on feet and legs
• Reduced pulse in legs or feet

What causes peripheral artery disease?

The most common cause of PAD is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a gradual process in which a fatty material builds up in the arteries limiting blood flow. Out-patient interventional radiology is an effective way of removing this material and restoring blood flow to the lower legs and feet.

What are the symptoms of peripheral artery disease?

Peripheral Artery Disease symptoms may include leg pain or cramps, numbness, tingling, non-healing foot wounds or skin discoloration. Sometimes, there are no symptoms at all but plaque in the arteries is still silently straining your cardiovascular system and increasing your risk for stroke and amputation. PAD symptoms are easily overlooked if attributed to arthritis and old age or when masked by nerve damage and peripheral neuropathy. African Americans and Native Americans are at particularly high risk for Peripheral Artery Disease. 

Common risk factors include:

• Diabetes
• Having any wounds or ulcers on the foot or leg
• Having a history of smoking
• Having a history of hypertension
• Feeling resting leg or foot pain
• One foot feeling colder than the other
• Neuropathy
• High cholesterol
• History of a heart attack or stent
• Being over the age of 65

How do we treat Peripheral Artery Disease?

Longstreet Clinic’s Vascular and Vein surgeons utilize several different methods of opening blocked arteries and restoring complete blood flow to the legs and feet.

ARTERIOGRAMS

Arteriograms utilize X-rays and dyes to view major arteries and other parts of the human body. Often called angiography, arteriograms detect how the dye travels through the bloodstream, ultimately revealing the condition of the arteries in specific areas of the body.

BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY

This procedure opens blocked arteries by expanding a vessel’s inner diameter via a balloon mounted on a thin tube. A catheter is inserted through the skin and is guided to the area that will be expanded. Cardiologists perform this same procedure in the heart, while vascular surgeons perform this procedure in vessels outside the heart.

STENT PLACEMENT

Stents are mesh-like metal tubes that can be expanded inside arteries. These are used to help hold arteries open when a balloon angioplasty isn’t successful.

ATHERECTOMY

This procedure utilizes a catheter with a sharp blade on the end to remove plaque from the artery. The catheter is inserted into the artery through a small puncture in the vessel and can be performed with the use of local anesthetic.

THROMBOLYSIS

This treatment dissolves blood clots via the injection of intravenous drugs straight at the site of the blockage. It may also involve the use of a long catheter with a mechanical tip to help remove the clot.

Please call 352-444-7077 (Villages) or 352-237-4116 (Ocala) or 352-507-2000 (Chiefland) .