Regional
Heart Institute Physicians Tackle
Peripheral Vascular Disease
10
Million Americans Suffer From This Little-Known Condition
 The peripheral vascular lab is an important part of the OSF Saint Anthony
Regional Heart Institute. Established in 1993, the lab is the first in
Rockford to treat peripheral vascular disease using a multidisciplinary
approach. It is one of the premiere centers of its kind in the country.
Robert
L. Minor Jr., MD, is a member of Rockford Cardiology Associates and
independent physician with the Regional Heart Institute. Peripheral
vascular disease, PVD, affects about 10 million people in the United
States. It is caused by atherosclerosis, or
the hardening
of the arteries that supply blood to the arms and legs. PVD is manifested
by diminished blood flow which can cause pain, numbness, and eventually
tissue death in the extremities. The disease often affects the legs,
but can occur in the vessels that supply blood to the arms, brain and
kidneys.
The most common
symptom of PVD is pain in an affected limb. Other symptoms can
include dull, cramping pain in hips, thighs
or calf muscle, changes
in skin color, impotence, infections that do not heal, as well as
numbness, tingling and weakness in the affected limb. In some extreme
cases,
untreated PVD can lead to gangrene, which may require the amputation
of a leg or
a foot.
Treating PVD
Effective treatments for advanced PVD include angioplasty. In this
procedure, a specially trained physician, usually a cardiologist,
inserts a tiny
balloon attached to a catheter. Using X-ray guidance, the catheter
is moved to the site of the blocked artery. The balloon is inflated
to open
the artery. In some cases, a small metal cylinder, or stent, is left
behind in the artery to keep it open. This procedure is routinely
performed at the OSF Saint Anthony Peripheral Vascular Lab.
Treatments
for PVD include procedures that use drugs to break up an existing
blood clot or to prevent one from forming or getting
bigger,
surgical
procedures that can open clogged arteries or vein and supportive
measures to relieve symptoms associated with impaired blood flow.
Sometimes,
PVD requires surgical treatment. Surgical procedures are usually
performed to correct aneurysms, remove blood clots
or to
improve blood
flow in patients who cannot undergo angioplasty. An image from
an angiogram shows restricted blood flow to the lower leg of
a person
with severe
peripheral vascular disease.
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Detecting
the disease is usually easy. A quick and painless exam that uses
a special stethoscope to compare blood pressure in the feet and
arms is often enough to diagnose PVD. Early detection and controlling
risk factors are the first steps toward better health. 