Peripheral artery disease—also known as PAD—is a common condition affecting Americans who are 65 years of age and older. PAD usually develops as a result of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Cholesterol and scar tissue build up, forming plaque that clogs the blood flow. This can lead to pain while walking, and even cause gangrene and a need for amputation. The physicians at DuPage Interventional offer options to treat PAD without major surgery.
Peripheral Artery Disease
Minimally Invasive Treatments for PAD
PAD Symptoms
Using imaging for guidance, our interventionalists perform a procedure using a thin catheter threaded through the femoral artery in the groin, to the affected artery in the legs. A balloon is inflated to open the blood vessel where it is narrowed or blocked. In some cases the reopened artery requires a stent (a tiny metal cylinder) or an atherectomy (a "rotorooter" to open the artery). This minimally invasive treatment does not require surgery— just a nick in the skin the size of a pencil tip.
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Painful cramps in the hip, thigh or calf muscles while walking
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Numbness or weakness in the legs
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Sores on toes, feet or legs
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Coldness in the feet or legs
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Slow growth of the toenails
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Weak pulse in legs or feet
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Erectile dysfunction