Strong Heart and Vascular Center
Division of Vascular Surgery
 |
|
Contact Us
New Patients
If you'd
like to schedule an appointment,
call us at 585-275-6772.
Existing Patients
If you're an
existing patient, we encourage you to ask us for
your Patient Prescription Form to take advantage
of
our online
services.
If you already
have your Patient Prescription Form, start using
our online Health
Center.
Referring Physicians
To refer a patient
for a consultation, call us at 585-275-6772.
|
|
 |
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) occurs when atherosclerosis,
or "hardening
of the arteries" affects the feet, legs, hands and arms. In
such cases, the arteries become blocked, obstructing
oxygen-rich blood flow. Insufficient blood flow in the extremities
causes two forms of leg pain...
Non-surgical Treatment of PAD
Treatment goals for PAD are to manage leg pain, improve
functioning and reduce the risk for heart attack and stroke.
Patients can make lifestyle changes like the following to reduce
those risks.
- Quit smoking
- Follow a low cholesterol / high fiber diet
- Exercise regularly
Treatment of peripheral artery disease depends
on the symptoms and location of the affected artery. Some patients
will be candidates for endovascular
treatments such as angioplasty.
Surgical Treatment of PAD
Surgically, PAD can be treated with a bypass operation. This
procedure creates a new route for blood to flow around a blocked
artery. When performing
bypass surgery on larger vessels (e.g.,
aorto or iliac artery), we use a section of manufactured blood
vessel known as a graft. Most grafts are made out of medical-grade
Teflon which works well in larger vessels.
Below the groin,
the vessels are
smaller, and Teflon/plastic grafts are not as effective.
They can become blocked again and there is a risk of infection.
For
this reason we make a graft out of a piece of your own vein
(preferably from a leg vein) when the blockage
is below the groin.
