Peripheral Artery (Vascular) Disease is a circulation disorder involving reduced blood flow that can include your lower body, causing pain and a weak sensation.
Peripheral Artery Disease is caused by the buildup of plaque (fat and other materials) in the artery walls. You may not feel any symptoms when plaque first starts to accumulate, but over time your arteries may narrow and could even become blocked. Artherorsclerosis can occur when the arteries become hardened due to this type of accumulation.
When the arteries become blocked, this prevents normal blood flow.
Symptoms can include:
- Trouble walking short distances
- Pain in the leg or hip when walking (pain goes away when resting)
- Sores on leg or feet that won’t heal
- Burning or aching feeling in the feet or toes when resting
Evaluating Your Condition
Medical Exam: Your doctor will perform a thorough medical examination and ask you for your medical history. Tell your doctor your symptoms and if you have problems walking. You may need a special test, such as a Doppler evaluation or Duplex imaging, to see if your blood is circulating efficiently throughout your legs.
Arteriogram (also known as an angiogram): An arteriogram is an x-ray image of the blood vessels to evaluate various vascular conditions, such as an aneurysm (ballooning of a blood vessel), stenosis (narrowing of a blood vessel), or blockages.
Treatment
Based on the results of your tests, your doctor may recommend angioplasty and/or stenting as a treatment for peripheral artery disease.
Angioplasty - a catheter is used to create a bigger opening in the vessel to increase blood flow.
Bypass surgery – An incision is made to create a new path around the blocked artery. Your surgeon will use a graft (a leg vein or manmade tube) to redirect the flow of blood.
Other procedures to restore blood flow include:
- Thrombolytic drugs – used to dissolve clots
- Thrombectomy – removal of a clot inside an artery
- Atherectomy - the blocked area inside the artery is "shaved" away by a tiny device on the end of a catheter.
- Laser angioplasty - a laser used to "vaporize" the blockage in the artery.
- Stent - a tiny mesh metal coil is expanded inside the blocked artery to open the blocked area and remains in place to keep the artery open.