Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) occurs as a result of a narrowing of the blood vessels outside the heart that can reduce or stop blood flow—usually to the legs—causing them to hurt or feel numb. If severe enough, blocked blood flow can cause ulcers and tissue death.
If PVD is left untreated, the foot or leg may need to be amputated. A person with PVD also has an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and transient ischemic attacks.
There is good news: the buildup of plaque in the arteries can often be halted or even reversed with dietary changes, exercise and efforts to lower high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
Vascular physicians at Memorial Heart and Vascular Institute provide diagnostic evaluation as well as endovascular and surgical treatment of peripheral arterial disease. Physicians also manage stroke prevention, limb salvage and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms and perform advanced procedures including:
- Peripheral vascular intervention
- Peripheral vascular surgery
- Carotid stenting
- Carotid endartectomy surgery
- Endovascular aneurysm repair
- Complex aneurysm surgery
- Complex renal vascular surgery
- Complex extracranial cerebrovascular surgery
- Complex aneurysm surgery
