Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

What is peripheral arterial disease?

Peripheral arterial disease or peripheral artery disease, both known as PAD, causes the arteries in your legs, arms, and other parts of your body to narrow due to atherosclerosis (plaque accumulation in your arteries). This causes poor circulation and can trigger problems like leg pain.  

If you suffer from PAD, you’re at risk for stroke, heart attack, and limb loss, so it’s important to reach out to your HeartCare Associates of Connecticut cardiologist if you’re having symptoms.

What are the symptoms of peripheral artery disease or PAD?

PAD is typically most obvious in your legs. It can cause pain and cramping in your hips, thighs, and calves when you’re moving around. Peripheral arterial disease can also cause other symptoms, including: 

• Leg numbness
• Leg weakness
• Slow-healing sores on your feet or legs
• Discoloration of leg skin
• Shiny looking legs
• Leg hair loss 
• Slower-than-usual toenail growth

Men can also suffer from erectile dysfunction due to peripheral arterial disease. 

How is peripheral arterial disease diagnosed?

HeartCare Associates of Connecticut uses state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to diagnose peripheral arterial disease. These may include:

Ultrasound

An ultrasound uses sound waves to collect images of your arteries. Your specialist can check blood flow within your arteries to look for blockages using ultrasound.

Angiogram

In an angiogram, your specialist threads a thin catheter into the artery and then injects a contrast agent. Then, they use X-ray imaging to find blockages. 

If a traditional angiogram isn’t right for you, you may need a computerized tomography (CT) angiogram, which doesn’t involve a catheter but does include contrast agent injection and a CT scan. 

Another option is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) angiogram. In an MRI angiogram, magnetic field, radio waves, and a computerized system combine to find blockages in your arteries. An MRI angiogram doesn’t use radiation. It may or may not include contrast material injection.

Your cardiologist uses the most advanced diagnostics available to diagnose your peripheral arterial disease at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut.

How is peripheral arterial disease treated?

Your cardiologist at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut uses a wide range of options to customize your PAD treatment. Treatment may include:

• Medication
• Angioplasty to unblock your artery
• Stenting to keep your blocked artery open
• Endarterectomy to remove artery lining
• Bypass grafting to create an alternate path for your blood

Your cardiologist can also help you make lifestyle and nutrition changes to avoid a recurrence of peripheral arterial disease. 

Schedule your PAD appointment by calling the HeartCare Associates of Connecticut location nearest you or booking online today.