. PAD is a disease of the arteries that affects ten million Americans
. PAD can happen to anyone, regardless of age, but it is most common in men
and women over age fifty
. PAD affects 12-20 percent of Americans age sixty-five and older
About Angioplasty and Stenting for Treating PAD

Using imaging for guidance, the interventional radiologist threads a catheter through the femoral artery in the groin to the blocked artery in the legs. He then inflates a balloon to open the blood vessel where it is narrowed or blocked. In some cases, this is held open with a stent, a tiny metal cylinder. This is a minimally invasive treatment that does not require surgery, just a nick in the skin the size of a pencil tip.

In general, balloon angioplasty and stenting has replaced invasive surgery as the first-line treatment for PAD. Randomized trials have shown interventional therapy to be as effective as surgery for many arterial occlusions and, in the past five to seven years, a very large clinical experience in centers throughout the world has shown that stenting and angioplasty are preferred as a first-line treatment for more and more processes throughout the body. Although PAD in general is treated nonsurgically, in many cases the superficial femoral artery is still being treated surgically.


Back to HCB News

More Industry Headlines