About PAD

Endovascular treatments

Endovascular treatments are innovative, less invasive procedures used to treat problems affecting blood vessels.
Minimally invasive endovascular procedures are now the first option for treating Peripheral Artery Disease. The treatment option is dependent upon the location and proportion of the blockages.

Some of the common endovascular procedures used to treat Peripheral Artery Disease are:

• Angioplasty: A small balloon is placed through a puncture in the groin. The balloon is inflated, using a saline solution, to open the artery. An Angioplasty is a simple and safe solution for patients with PAD. It is also a much less invasive and lower-cost procedure.
• Cutting balloon: This procedure is composed of a conventional balloon catheter with micro-blades added to dilate the afflicted area. These micro-blades cut the surface of the plaque, diminishing the force required to dilate the vessel.
• Stents: Stents or metal mesh tubes are placed in the artery during a balloon angioplasty to provide ongoing support.
• Balloon-expanded: The stent or metal mesh tubes are expanded by use of a balloon.
• Laser atherectomy: The tip of a laser probe is used to vaporize small amounts of plaque.
• Directional atherectomy: The flow channel is opened by removing plaque from the artery via a rotating cutting blade during a catheter procedure.

Endovascular procedures for treating PAD provide a much shorter recovery time compared to other surgical options. Recovery time from endovascular procedures treating PAD is only one to two days. Most endovascular procedures are conducted on an outpatient level.

Surgical treatments

Some PAD conditions are not favorable for an endovascular procedure. When artery blockages are not suitable, surgical treatment is recommended. Surgical procedures for the treatment of PAD often involves bypass around the diseased segment with either a vein from the patient or a synthetic graft. Patient recovery after a PAD surgical procedure can take several weeks.

While many patients have no symptoms of PAD, the condition does pose a potential health risk. Those with more advanced forms of PAD may experience complications including the following:

Claudication – Leg pain that occurs with movement such as walking or exercising is known as claudication. This discomfort often goes away with rest. However, in more severe cases, the pain may continue even during rest. Other associated symptoms can include numbness, weakness, and coldness in the lower leg or foot.

Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) – Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) is a particularly severe form of PAD in which the extremities have difficulty healing from injury or infection. In some cases, these infections or wounds may not only be slow to heal, but they may also actually progress, resulting in gangrene, or the death of surrounding tissue. Eventually, if not treated properly, these complications can lead to the need for amputation.

Understanding the distinction between PAD and PVD can be confusing, particularly when there seem to be so many naming variations. In addition to peripheral artery disease and PAD, you may have heard the condition referred to as peripheral vascular disease or PVD. This often leads the two to be used interchangeably, and while the term PVD does encompass all cases of PAD, the term PAD cannot be used to refer to all types of PVD.

PVD is considered to be either functional or organic, based on how it develops. Functional PVD does not result from damage or defect of the blood vessels. In conditions such as Raynaud’s disease, the vessels expand or constrict on their own in response to stimuli. Organic PVD, on the other hand, occurs when there is damage to vessels from sources such as inflammation or plaque buildup, or atherosclerosis. PAD is the most common form of organic PVD.

Forms of PVD that are not considered PAD include:

• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Thrombophlebitis
• Varicose Veins

While patients may hear and see the terms PAD and PVD used interchangeably, it is important to understand that, while PAD is the most common, other forms of PVD do exist.

PAD is a particularly dangerous form of vascular disease of which too many patients are unaware. While the condition can sneak up silently, the complications it can cause can be life-altering and may even result in the loss of limbs. Early diagnosis and treatment is key to minimizing the impact of the disease. If you are already suffering from symptoms of PAD or meet the risk criteria above, contact Cardiovascular Institute of the South. With a simple, non-invasive test called an ankle-brachial index, you can determine your risk for PAD and gain invaluable insight into your health.