Peripheral Vascular Disease or PVD is the term for artery blockages affecting the arms and legs.  The symptom associated with this problem is called claudication which is muscle pain associated with exercise.  This pain is worsened by exercise and goes away at rest.  Walking up hills, stairs or greater exertion causes the pain to occur more quickly.  Depending on where the blockage is, the pain may occur in the buttocks, thighs, calves or feet.  Many people mistakenly assume this is a normal occurrence of aging.  It is not.  It is a treatable blood vessel disease that if left untreated can lead to gangrene and amputation of the extremity.  The problem may be the first sign of arteriosclerosis which is a term for narrowing of the arteries caused by buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.  This disease involves the whole body, and the leg problem may be an important warning. This problem is much more likely in patients who are smokers or who have diabetes, hypertension, or high blood cholesterol.

In many cases this problem can be treated by a minimally invasive procedure called angioplasty.  This is a procedure where a small tube or catheter with a special balloon on it is placed in the narrowed part of the artery and is used to enlarge the narrowed artery.  In some cases stents are placed inside the artery to improve the result.  Other, related techniques including Cryoplasty where the artery wall is frozen with a special balloon and thrombectomy, where clots are removed with a special catheter are used.  The Physicians of Wake Radiology Interventional Services have all had extensive training in these special techniques with thousands of cases successfully performed.