Non-surgical treatment for leg pain, non-healing ulcers and diabetic foot โ restoring blood flow through angioplasty and stenting.
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a condition affecting the lower limbs, most common in men and women older than 50. It is usually caused by atherosclerosis โ fatty deposits (plaques) building up in the artery walls, reducing blood flow to the legs and feet.
Symptoms include painful cramping in the hip, thigh, or calf during walking or stair-climbing (claudication), leg numbness or weakness, a cold lower leg or foot compared to the other side, non-healing ulcers on the toes, feet, or legs, shiny skin on the legs, and โ in men โ erectile dysfunction.
Ankle-brachial pressure index โ the most commonly used first-line test.
Ultrasound imaging of blood flow, also widely used as a first-line test.
Used when revascularisation (a procedure to restore blood flow) is being planned.
Gives the most detailed picture, typically during treatment itself.
The first-line, minimally invasive treatment for peripheral vascular disease.
A nick the size of a pencil tip in the groin โ no open incision.
A balloon reopens the narrowed vessel; a stent can hold it open.
Early randomised trials show it's as effective as surgery for many blockages.
When disease is very extensive, bypass surgery using a graft may be needed.
Peripheral vascular disease, also called peripheral artery disease, is a narrowing or blockage of the arteries that supply blood to the limbs, most often the legs. It is usually caused by atherosclerosis (fatty plaque build-up) and mainly affects people over 50, especially those with diabetes.
Early signs include cramping leg pain when walking that eases with rest (claudication), leg numbness or weakness, and a cold foot compared with the other side. Advanced signs include pain at rest, shiny skin, and sores or ulcers that will not heal.
Yes. Most cases of peripheral vascular disease can now be treated with minimally invasive angioplasty and stenting, in which a balloon and sometimes a stent reopen the narrowed artery through a pinhole in the skin, with no open surgery.
In people with diabetes, narrowed leg arteries reduce blood flow to the foot, so ulcers and infections heal poorly and can progress to gangrene. Restoring blood flow, often by angioplasty, is frequently the key to healing a diabetic foot ulcer and avoiding amputation.
In many cases, yes. When a limb is threatened by poor blood flow or a non-healing ulcer, reopening the blocked artery to restore blood supply can allow wounds to heal and save the limb from amputation. Early treatment gives the best chance.
It is diagnosed with simple tests such as the ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) and Doppler ultrasound, followed by CT or MR angiography to map the blockages when a procedure is planned.
Because angioplasty is done through a small nick in the skin rather than an incision, recovery is quick. Most patients have a short hospital stay and return to normal activities within a few days.
At Neuro & Vascular, PVD, diabetic foot disease, and non-healing ulcers are treated by Dr. Suresh Giragani, Consultant Interventional Radiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, with over 18 years of experience.
Book a consultation with Dr. Giragani, or send your scans and reports for a specialist second opinion.