Condition: peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral arterial disease is the term for clogged or narrowed arteries in the leg.  Commonly caused by atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, it can also be the result of blood clots that lodge in the arteries and restrict blood flow. 

Symptoms

Patients with this disease may have no symptoms. However, it is important to seek medical attention if a patient experiences

• pain when walking that subsides at rest
• leg cramps
• pain at rest
• numbness and skin discoloration
• sores or other symptoms of skin breakdown

Minimally invasive treatments: angioplasty and stenting

An interventional radiologist at Lutheran General Hospital may perform angioplasty and stenting under image guidance for treatment of peripheral arterial disease.

In these procedures, the radiologist threads a catheter through the femoral artery into the blocked arteries in the legs. A balloon is then inflated to open the blood vessel where it is narrowed or blocked. A stent may be used to hold open the vessel permanently for increased blood flow.

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