PAD Treatments

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Treatment

At USA Vascular Centers, PAD treatment is focused on restoring healthy blood flow using minimally invasive, outpatient procedures. Three of the most effective options include angioplasty, stent placement, and atherectomy, each selected based on the location, severity, and characteristics of the arterial blockage.

If you are suffering from the effects of peripheral artery disease (PAD), we want you to know that there is help available. PAD develops when plaque builds up in the arteries. Over time, peripheral artery disease can lead to painful leg symptoms, impact your ability to walk or climb stairs, and place you at increased risk for serious health conditions like heart attack, stroke, and amputation.

How PAD Treatment Works

All three treatments share the same goal: reopen narrowed or blocked arteries to improve circulation. These procedures are performed using image-guided technology, allowing physicians to treat PAD without open surgery. Key benefits include:

• No large incisions
• Short recovery times
• Performed in an outpatient setting
• Designed to relieve symptoms and prevent disease progression

Fortunately, a range of effective PAD treatment options exist that can improve your situation. To determine which treatment approach is best for you, we recommend visiting a vascular doctor. At USA Vascular Centers, our compassionate vascular doctors can make personalized recommendations based on your medical history and the severity of your condition.

When it comes to peripheral artery disease treatment at USA Vascular Centers, we aim to:

• Reduce symptoms – PAD can cause leg pain and weakness, difficulty walking and climbing stairs, skin changes and non-healing sores, and erectile dysfunction.
• Improve mobility and quality of life – When you are unable to move around comfortably, it becomes challenging to perform daily activities and enjoy life to its fullest.
• Prevent dangerous health consequences – PAD can place you at increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and limb amputation.

We specialize in providing minimally invasive treatment that can alleviate your symptoms, improve mobility, and get you back to normal life.

Choosing the Right PAD Treatment

PAD is not a one-size-fits-all condition. At USA Vascular Centers, your care team uses advanced imaging, such as duplex ultrasound and angiography, to evaluate your arteries and determine the most effective treatment approach.

In many cases, a combination of procedures may be used:

• Atherectomy to remove plaque
• Angioplasty to expand the artery
• Stent placement to maintain results

This tailored strategy ensures treatment is aligned with your specific condition and long-term vascular health.

What Is the Best Treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease?

The best treatment for your peripheral artery disease depends on several factors, including disease severity and your medical history. When PAD is diagnosed early, lifestyle modifications and medications may be enough to meet the main treatment goals of alleviating symptoms, improving mobility, and reducing threat to life and limb.

PAD is a progressive disease that occurs in stages.^[1] The first stage is mild, or asymptomatic PAD, during which it is common for patients to experience no symptoms at all. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, about 20 to 50% of patients diagnosed with PAD are asymptomatic. If you have mild PAD, your doctor may suggest that you:

• Work with a trainer to develop a daily exercise program
• Join a medical weight-loss program to obtain a healthy BMI
• Discuss personalized dietary improvements with a dietician
• Focus on controlling high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels
• Contact a tobacco cessation program to quit smoking
• Begin daily aspirin therapy
• Take other prescribed medications to improve blood circulation

The next stage is symptomatic PAD. As the disease progresses and arteries narrow, blood flow is restricted to the lower extremities, causing claudication. Claudication is leg pain that is triggered by physical activity and ceases while at rest. However, most patients experience what is called atypical claudication, which is when the leg pain does not consistently resolve with rest.

PAD that has progressed into the most severe stage is called critical limb ischemia (CLI). In patients with CLI, claudication has worsened, causing loss of mobility and increased pain during rest. Other symptoms of critical limb ischemia include leg ulcers, gangrene of the leg tissue, and pain during rest that lasts more than 14 days.^[2]

If your condition has progressed beyond the initial, asymptomatic stage, there are treatments available that can improve blood flow and alleviate symptoms. At USA Vascular Centers, we provide treatment for PAD using minimally invasive methods. Our non-surgical treatment options include:

• Angioplasty: A common procedure that uses a catheter to implant a small balloon into the affected artery. The balloon is then expanded, compressing the plaque to restore blood flow to the artery.
• Stent placement: Similar to angioplasty, this treatment places a small, mesh stent into the blocked artery. The stent is permanent, and its job is to keep the artery open and prevent pieces of plaque from breaking off and causing another blockage.
• Atherectomy: A procedure that uses a rotating or laser catheter to shave off plaque, removing it from the artery walls.

How Long Does It Take to Recover?

Most patients recover from a minimally invasive treatment for PAD within one to two weeks. With angioplasty, stent placement, and atherectomy procedures, our skilled vascular doctors at USA Vascular Centers make an incision so small that stitches are not required. In addition, patients undergo local sedation instead of general anesthesia, which helps contribute to a shorter recovery time.

At USA Vascular Centers, our non-surgical peripheral artery disease treatments are performed in our state-of-the-art outpatient centers, accredited by the American Association for Ambulatory Healthcare (AAAHC). This certification means we meet and exceed stringent patient safety standards. It also qualifies us for Medicare and Medicaid certification.

Patients can expect to spend about two hours in our outpatient center from the beginning of their non-surgical treatment appointment to the end. The procedures themselves typically take about 30 to 45 minutes to complete. You may begin to experience relief from PAD symptoms in the days, weeks, and months after your peripheral artery disease treatment.

Who Treats Peripheral Artery Disease?

Historically, treatment for PAD was limited to lifestyle modifications and medication for mild-stage PAD, with surgery reserved for more severe stages. With medical advances, endovascular techniques and technologies have become widely available. Endovascular procedures are minimally invasive methods used to treat conditions that affect blood vessels, like PAD.

Doctors who treat PAD are typically vascular specialists trained in performing both surgical and non-surgical, endovascular procedures. At USA Vascular Centers, our doctors who treat PAD specialize in using minimally invasive techniques. Many of our doctors are also interventional radiologists, meaning they are trained in the use of imaging technologies, like ultrasound, to diagnose and treat conditions.

How Will a Vascular Doctor Determine the Best PAD Treatment for Me?

Vascular doctors are experts in diagnosing and treating vascular diseases like PAD. They can assess a patient’s symptoms in several ways to help determine what type of treatment would serve a patient’s needs. If you visit our outpatient centers with classic PAD symptoms, our expert vascular doctors are available to perform several diagnostic tests.

An ankle-brachial index test is often a starting point. Your vascular doctor will measure the blood pressure in your ankle and in your arm and compare the two numbers to get your ankle-brachial index. A number below 1.0 can indicate peripheral artery disease.

Angiograms can provide more information. During an angiogram, your vascular doctor will insert a tiny catheter and inject contrast dye into your vascular system. With X-ray imaging, the doctor will pinpoint blockages in your arteries.

Vascular doctors may also use ultrasounds to help locate areas where plaque has built up in your vascular system. After thoroughly assessing your symptoms and determining where the blockages are, your vascular doctor may suggest angioplasty, stent placement, or atherectomy to widen the narrowed arterial passageways. If you would like to know more about which PAD treatment options might work best for you, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with one of our trusted vascular doctors.

Guideline to Preparing for Your PAD Appointment

We encourage all of our patients to come prepared to each PAD appointment at USA Vascular Centers. Before your initial appointment or consultation, we ask that you bring standard documentation, such as your photo ID, insurance card, list of current medications, and list of any current or past medical conditions. This will help your care team give you safe, effective care. It will also help us set up communication with your insurance provider.

Your doctor will also want to know about your family’s medical history. Is there a history of cardiovascular disease, for example? What about diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease? Each of these conditions is a risk factor for PAD. In addition, your doctor may ask about your lifestyle habits. Smoking, living a sedentary lifestyle, and eating an unbalanced diet low in nutrients can all contribute to PAD. Our doctors are compassionate and will work with you to help address lifestyle habits that may be contributing to PAD.

Bring a list of the symptoms you are currently experiencing to your appointment and discuss them with your vascular doctor. If you think you may have difficulty remembering all of your symptoms during your visit, write them down ahead of time. Wearing loose-fitting, comfortable clothing on the day of your appointment will help you be prepared for a physical exam and any other tests your vascular doctor wants to do.

When PAD Treatment Becomes Urgent

If PAD is left untreated, plaque buildup can progress to the point where blood flow is severely restricted. This can lead to slow-healing wounds, tissue damage, and in advanced cases, a serious risk of limb loss.^[3] PAD is also associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, since the same plaque buildup process can affect arteries elsewhere in the body.^[4] If you are experiencing new or worsening leg pain, sores on your feet that are not healing, or a noticeable temperature or color change in one leg, it is worth talking to a vascular specialist promptly rather than waiting for symptoms to resolve on their own.