Arterial Disease of the Legs – pain, ulcers, gangrene

Arteries supply nutrients to all parts of the body.  The legs are no different.   As blockage builds up inside arteries with age and disease, the blood flow decreases.  The decreased supply of nutrients makes it difficult for injuries or infections to heal and often leads to loss of an extremity.  The presence of pain at rest, non healing sores, infections and gangrene reflect poor circulation.  Historically, open surgical procedures consisted of removing atheroma surgically or using a bypass graft to route blood around the blockage.  Modern innovative technology has evolved and brought minimally invasive treatment to the forefront allowing treatment of obstructed arteries where options were previously lumited.  Ultrasonic energy which is used to shatter kidney stones has been adapted to open densely calcified arteries, pulverizing and compressing the calcified plaque.   Plaque buildup within the arteries can be reduced with “athrectomy” with use of auger type devices which grind and remove plaque or lasers which can vaporize plaque.   The narrowed areas can also be treated with angioplasty which entails inflating a balloon within the artery.   A stent which is a cylindrical metal framework which buttresses the inside of the vessel can also be implanted.  All of these interventions can be performed through a catheter with minimal discomfort and extremely fast recovery time.