Treatment Options For Peripheral Arterial Disease

Surgery

More severe cases of peripheral arterial disease may require surgery to treat symptoms, especially those related to claudication. Angioplasty can reopen the clogged artery, widen it, and increase blood flow. This procedure is performed by threading a small hollow tube called a catheter through a blood vessel to reach the affected artery. A small balloon attached to the catheter's tip is inflated to widen the area. Another tube made of mesh may be placed in the clogged artery to help keep it open. An atherectomy is an alternative to angioplasty. This operation removes plaque build-up with a minimally invasive endovascular surgical technique. Bypass surgery is another operation that can be done to improve blood flow. The doctor creates a blood vessel with man-made fabrics or by using a vessel from another area of the body. This blood vessel is used to redirect blood flow around the clogged artery. The newly created blood vessel is known as a graft bypass.