Peripheral vascular disease affects the circulation to the legs and feet, often resulting in pain and disability. It is most often caused by atherosclerosis, which narrows and occludes the blood vessels. This disorder is associated with smoking, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Diagnosis
Peripheral vascular disease is diagnosed using history and physical examination, and non-invasive testing in the vascular laboratory. In some cases, this condition will improve with medication, regular exercise and control of blood pressure and diabetes.
However, patients with severe peripheral vascular disease may require more aggressive diagnosis and treatment to prevent loss of a limb. Diagnosis may require tests such as MRA (MRI), CT scan, an/or arteriogram, a procedure in which we inject contrast, or "dye," into the bloodstream and examine the arteries under X-ray.
Treatment
When it comes to treatment, we help patients choose the least invasive solutions that will fix their problem. This often means using balloon angioplasty and stenting to open up blood vessels. When this is not feasible, surgically bypass may be required.