Peripheral Vascular Disease-Premier Vascular Services

What is Peripheral Vascular Disease?
PVD is known by many names-peripheral arterial disease (PAD), atherosclerosis, claudication, hardening of the arteries, or just poor circulation. Peripheral Vascular Disease are problems the veins and arteries that keep the blood flowing through your body. When arteries in the groin or upper leg narrow or become blocked the amount of blood flowing to the lower leg and foot is reduced.

Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from vascular disease, 5 million exhibit symptoms, yet only 1.25 million are being treated. Unfortunately, most of those experiencing pain do not discuss their pain with their doctor and simply accept the increased difficulty in walking and leg pain as a normal part of aging. If you experience pain in your legs or have an ache or cramp in the calf, buttocks or thigh that occurs when you walk or exercise and subsides when you rest, you may have PVD.

Diagnosis of PVD and PAD
Your doctor may perform the following tests to see if you have PVD or PAD:

Doppler ultrasound
X-ray Angiography
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Treatments of PVD and PAD Bypass Surgery
There are many treatments that your doctor may recommend:

Anti-thrombotics-designed to prevent blood from clotting.
Angioplasty with a stent to expand and open the diseased artery
Bypassing the diseased region of the artery with a vein from another part of the body or with a synthetic blood vessel.
Atherectomy-an incision is made into the diseased vessel and the fatty deposit is removed.

Ask for an examination to confirm PVD and it's severity. With new medications and lifestyle changes you and your doctor can manage this disease.