Peripheral Vascular Disease Procedures
- Vascular Disease Screening
- Peripheral Vascular Disease - Home
- Angiography - Minimally Invasive Surgical Solutions and Angiogram
- Angioplasty and Stent Placement - Minimally Invasive Surgical Solutions; Angioplasty and Stent Placement
- Aortic Aneurysms - Minimally Invasive Surgical Solutions and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
About Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)
What is PVD?
Peripheral vascular disease is a common circulation problem in which the arteries that carry blood to the legs or arms become narrowed or clogged. This interferes with the normal flow of blood, sometimes causing pain, but often causing no symptoms at all. The most common cause of PVD is atherosclerosis, often called "hardening of the arteries." Atherosclerosis is a gradual process in which cholesterol and scar tissue build up, forming a substance called plaque that clogs the blood vessels. In some cases, PVD may be caused by blood clots that lodge in the arteries and restrict blood flow. Left untreated, this insufficient blood flow can ultimately lead to limb amputation in some patients.
In patients suffering from atherosclerosis, the blood flow channel narrows from the buildup of plaque, preventing blood from passing through as needed and restricting the amount of oxygen and other nutrients that reaches normal tissue. The arteries also become rigid and less elastic, which hinders their ability to react to tissue demands for changes in blood flow. Many of the risk factors of atherosclerosis - high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes - may also damage the blood vessel wall, making the blood vessel prone to diffuse plaque deposits.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of PVD is called claudication, which is leg pain that occurs when walking or exercising and disappears when the person stops the activity. Other symptoms include numbness, tingling, or coldness in the lower legs and feet and ulcers or sores on the legs or feet that don't heal. Many people simply live with their pain, assuming it is a normal part of aging rather than reporting it to a doctor.