Leg Pain | Peripheral Arterial Disease
The best choice for relieving Peripheral Arterial Disease
What is PAD?
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is caused by narrowing or blockage of the arteries from the heart to the legs. PAD or PVD is caused by the build up of fatty deposits and calcium in the arteries.
Symptoms
- Pain or cramping in the buttocks or legs with exercise that improves with rest
- Severe causes can result in pain at rest or wounds of the legs which do not heal
- Cool skin, hair loss on the legs, and/or thinning of the skin
- In some cases, wounds can even lead to a need for amputation
Risk Factors
- The main risk factor for PAD is smoking or history of smoking
- Diabetes, high blood pressure, High cholesterol. Heart disease, and stroke
- Older people are also at higher risk of developing symptoms because the atherosclerotic plaques build up with time
Diagnosis
A physician will begin the process by taking a complete medical history and thorough physical exam.
Additional tests may be used to make the diagnosis such as
- Doppler ultrasound
- Measuring the blood pressures in your legs and feet
- CT or conventional angiography
Treatment
- Medical management – Proper medications and control of risk factors
- Thrombectomy – the process of mechanically removing blood clot from the arteries
- Atherectomy – mechanical removal of the plaque from the inside of the artery
- Angioplasty – using a balloon mounted on a catheter to physically stretch the artery open to allow unobstructed blood flow
- Stenting – A metallic scaffold that can be placed in the area of persistent stenosis or obstruction to help keep the artery open
Why Choose Apex?
Our board-certified, highly experienced doctors treat each patient with individual care, attention, and comprehensive follow-up care to ensure complete rehabilitation.
PAD Quiz
Take this brief quiz so that we can better assist you