Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease

#7

Cardiology

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Plaque build-up in the arteries, called atherosclerosis, can occur throughout the body. Coronary artery disease results from plaque build-up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart and puts the individual at risk for heart attack or angina.

When atherosclerosis occurs in arteries outside the heart, the patient has peripheral arterial disease, which can affect any artery from head to toe. When the blockage is in the arteries supplying blood to the brain (carotid arteries), the patient is at risk for stroke.

When it involves the arteries to the arms (subclavian arteries), movement or use of the arm can cause pain in the arm or even angina in individuals who have had previous bypass surgery.

Atherosclerosis in the renal arteries that supply the kidneys can cause renal dysfunction or severe high blood pressure. Plaque can also accumulate in the arteries to the legs, causing pain at rest or with walking.

Interventional cardiologists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital have extgensive expertise in the successfully treatment of blockages in peripheral arteries. Our cardiologists use the same proven, minimally invasive methods used to clear blockages in the coronary arteries, namely angioplasty and stenting, to treat peripheral arterial disease without surgery and with excellent results.