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What is peripheral artery disease?
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease occurs when plaque builds up within the arteries of the arm or leg (atherosclerosis),
causing the artery opening to narrow (stenosis).
Peripheral artery disease in the leg, also known as lower extremity arterial disease, most commonly causes claudication, or chronic leg pain due to lack of blood flow to the legs. Lower extremity artery disease increases the risk of gangrene < risksofclaudication.html> if not properly treated.
Arterial blockage can be diagnosed noninvasively using the arterial Doppler test (see below: "Symptoms of peripheral artery disease").
Peripheral artery disease is treated with both surgical and nonsurgical methods (see below: "Why choose NYU for treatment of peripheral artery disease?"). Effective surgeries include stenting, angioplasty, and arterial bypass.
Vascular surgeons at NYU Medical Center provide highly successful medical treatment for patients with peripheral artery disease, including extraordinary limb salvage outcomes. Treatment is individualized to each patient’s unique vascular health needs.
More information about peripheral artery disease is available on the Society for Vascular Surgery website.
Symptoms of peripheral artery disease
The most common symptom of lower extremity arterial disease is claudication, or leg pain after walking a certain distance.
This kind of chronic leg pain:
is caused by inadequate blood flow, and therefore oxygen delivery, to the muscle during exercise
tends to occur in the same area in the leg (such as the calf)
is relieved by resting for a few minutes
recurs at about the same distance when the walking is resumed
is often associated with a history of smoking or diabetes
People with lower extremity artery disease may also have skin ulcers on the leg.
Am I at risk for peripheral arterial disease?
Take our online risk assessment test
Diagnosis of peripheral artery disease
Diagnosis of claudication is made by physical examination by a vascular surgeon and an arterial Doppler test, which is a simple, noninvasive blood pressure measurement at various positions on the leg.
Arterial Doppler tests are conducted in the NYU Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory.
Treatment for peripheral artery disease
Peripheral arterial disease is often treated with exercise and medication.
Occasionally, further testing (e.g., angiogram) is performed to pinpoint areas of artery blockage.
Depending on the nature of the artery blockage, it may be treated by:
balloon angioplasty
A minimally invasive endovascular surgery to treat arterial blockages and restore blood flow to organs without large surgical incisions or exposures.
placement of stents in the arteries
Metal mesh tubes, plastic tubes, and fabric tubes are used to hold arteries open and help them heal after angioplasty.
bypass surgery
A procedure in which the surgeon creates a new route for blood to travel around an artery blocked by atherosclerosis, restoring blood flow.
Dangers of peripheral artery disease
Usually artery blockages in the legs only cause pain when walking. However, if left untreated, artery blockages may progress to gangrene (necrosis, or death of tissue) in the toes or foot. In worst cases, limbs and extremities affected by gangrene require amputation.
If diagnosed at an early stage, preventive measures may be taken to avoid worsening of symptoms and amputation. Surgeons at NYU have achieved a 70–80% success rate of leg salvage in patients scheduled for amputation at another hospital.
Why choose NYU for treatment of peripheral artery disease?
NYU Medical Center’s Division of Vascular Surgery offers the largest team of top-level vascular specialists in New York City.
Members of a leading academic medical center, NYU’s vascular surgeons are deeply committed to finding the most advanced, innovative, proven methods to treat artery blockage.
NYU Medical Center’s vascular surgeons perform all types of artery surgery - stenting, angioplasty, and leg bypass surgey - and critically evaluate each patient’s unique vascular health needs to produce the best individualized treatment plan. Surgeons at NYU have achieved a 70–80% success rate of leg salvage in patients scheduled for amputation at another hospital.
NYU’s vascular surgeons have proven success in their outcomes: a 1–2% perioperative complication rate, one of the lowest worldwide, and a 1.5% morbidity rate in preventing stroke by removing plaque from arteries, the lowest in New York state.
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