Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Services

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) occurs when fatty deposits and/or calcium (also referred to as plaque) build up within the lining of "other-than-heart" arteries within the body. This plaque build-up can reduce the flow of blood through the arteries. When heart disease is present, very often there is also some level of disease in other arteries in the body. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) often precedes heart disease.

The Meriter Heart Hospital offers the area's most advanced peripheral vascular program through a unique collaborative approach. Our cardiologists, radiologists and vascular surgeons evaluate and manage patients with blockages in arteries leading to the head, legs, arms, kidneys or abdomen.

Testing

• Angiogram (catheterization) - A diagnostic test in which dye is injected into an artery to look for disease or blockage. For more information, read our Cardiac Catheterization article.

Treatment

• AAA Stenting - An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is an abnormal bulging or enlargement of part of the aorta within the abdomen. It is caused by damage to or weakness in the blood vessel wall. The endovascular-stent grafting procedure requires two small incisions in the groin. The graft is carefully threaded through the artery and into the abdominal aortic aneurysm. The graft is designed to pop open and seal itself to the healthy walls of the aorta above and below the aneurysm, creating a new structure for blood to flow through. For more information about AAA stenting, read our Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Repair article. An AAA animation also is available through our site.
• Angioplasties - A balloon procedure to open an obstruction or narrowing of a blood vessel. For more information, read our Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty article.
• Peripheral Stent Placement - A stent is a device made of expandable metal mesh that is placed at the site of a narrowed artery. The stent is expanded, using a balloon procedure, and left in place to keep the artery open. For more information about this procedure, read our Stents article.
• Other Intra-arterial Procedures Such as Angiojet, Covered Stents, and Distal Protection - Procedures that may be used in combination with balloon angioplasties to assist in vessel opening, removing clots or may reduce the chance of reocclusion (closing up) of the artery. For more information, read our Angiojet article.
• Carotid Artery Stenting - A procedure in which the vascular surgeon inserts a slender, metal-mesh tube, called a stent, into the carotid artery. This expands inside the artery to increase blood flow in areas blocked by plaque. For more information, read our Carotid Artery Stenting article.

Prevention

• Diagnostic Blood Tests - These include C-Reactive Protein, Homocysteine and Liproprotein(a).
• Health Screenings - Our outreach and education programs have reached thousands of community members with physician presentations, special events, health fairs, screenings and classes. Screenings include our Lower Extremity Arterial Disease screening (Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) Screening), which tests for peripheral arterial disease of the arteries leading to the legs. This is a condition in which the blood flow to the legs is narrowed or blocked, typically resulting in pain, weakness or cramping (when walking), leg numbness, skin discoloration or ulcers. For more information about future events, visit our Classes and Events section.
• Risk Factor Assessment and Counseling - In addition to our health screenings mentioned above, we offer an online Heart Risk Assessment. Simply click the assessment link in the upper left to begin. Also, learn more about classes and programs offered by the Meriter Center for Health Promotion and Community Health Education Center.
• Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET) Program - More information is available on our Supervised Exercise Therapy page.

Next: Other Surgical Services

6/23/2008