Peripheral blood vessels are all of the blood vessel outside the heart. Peripheral vascular disease, or PVD, develop when arteries outside the heart become blocked.
You my know that coronary artery disease (CAD) develop when the heart´s blood vessels become blocked. “Peripheral” blood vessels are all of the blood vessels ourside the heart. So peripheal vascular disease (PVD) develop when arteries outside the heart become blocked.
Arteries carry blood to every part of your body. The blockages that cause PVD can slow and even cut off blood flow in clogged vessels. It is especially common in larger arteries. PVD is most often fount in arteries in the legs but can also affect arteries in your arms, neck, and kigneys.
And if you have a blockages one of your peripheral arteries, there might be a greater chance that you have blockages in other arteries as well. For instance, your doctor may want to see if you haev blockages in your carotid artery (in your neck) – which increases the risk of stroke. Or your doctor may want to see if you have blockages in your coronary arteries (in your heart) – which increases the risk of heart attack.
Other names for peripheral vascular disease: PVD, peripheal artery disease (PAD), atherosclerosis. (Arterosclerosis is a general term for the gradual clogging of any artery, not just the periphereal arteries.)
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is caused by plaque buildup in your peripheral arteries. Plaque is made up of fatty substances, like cholesterol, in your boold. The plaque builds up slowly, over a number of years. Yet in time plaque can harden and narrow the arteries. PDV can slor or block blood flow and cut off the oxygen supply to your tissues.
Factors other tan cholesterol can be involved. PVD is generallyy also affected by the following risk factor. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing an artery blockage.
Risk factors you can change
Risk factors your cannot change
Other health conditions that can increase your risk
To learn more, go to the Risk Factors section and the Health Conditions section (to learn about diabetes and blood pressure).
Symptoms
Many people don´t notice any symptoms of peripheral vascular disease (PVD). But because the artery blockage prevents oxygen from getting to nearby tissues, you may notice one or more of these symptoms:
To find out if you have peripheral vascular disease (PVD), your doctor may suggest one or more of tests listed below. Some of the tests may be done to see if you are also developing blockages in your heart´s arteries (Coronary arteries). The test result can also help your doctor choose the best treatment(s) for you.
In some cases you may be sent to specialists for diagnosis and testing – and sometimes for treatment. To learn more, go to the Your Treatment Team section.
Often a very simple test can reveal a blockage in peripheral blood vessels: your doctor can listen to your blood flow with a stethoscope. An abnormal whooshing sound (called a bruit) as the blood passes through the artery can signal a blockage. A stethoscope test is a good preliminary test. Your doctor may order follow-up tests as well.
Angiogram
What is an angiogram?
An angiogram is a image of your blood vessels, similar to an x-ray. An angiogram shows:
An angiogram might be ordered if your doctor suspects blockages in:
The angiogram begins with a cardiac catherization. During a cardiac catherization, a small, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel. Once the catheter is in place, your doctor inject dye to begin the angiogram. The dye allows your blood vessels to show up as images on a monitor – almost like roads on a map. If the angiogram shows a blocked artery, your doctor may be able treat it at the time with a procedure such as balloon angioplasty.
What can I expect?
Your test will performed in a “cath lab.” When you have an angiogram you undress and put on a hospital gown or sheet. You lie on an table and an intravenous (IV) line is put into your arm. The IV delivers fluids and medications during the procedure. The medicaation makes you groggy, but not unconscius. The doctor makes a small incision for the catheter, The area of the incision will be numbed so you shouldn´t feel pain, but you may feel some pressure as the catheter is inserted. When the doctor injects the dye, you might notice a:
What is an ABI?
An ankle brachial index (ABI) is a test can diagnose peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The ABI measures blood pressure in your ankle as well as in your arm. Your doctor compares the blood pressure readings in your arms and the readings in your legs. In this way the ABI can reveal blocked blood flow in the arteries of your legs.
The ABI is usually a good indicator of:
Sometimes your doctor order other test that are done at the same time as the ABI. One of these test is a Doppler ultrasound. An ultrasound uses sound waves that bounce off the blood vessels and other tissues in your leg or foot. In this way the ultrasound can measure the amount of blood flowing through the ateries in that specific location.
Sometimes an ABI is done along with a stress test (or exercise test). This is recommended especially if the doctor gets abnormal ABI readings. In these cases, the doctor performs an ABI both defore and after the stress test,
To learn more about a stress test or a Dlopper ultrasound, go to those entries in the Test section.
What can i expect
When you have an ankle brachial index (ABI), you undress, put on a hospital gown, and lie on an exam table. A blood pressure cuff is put on each arm, and cuff are placed at four locations o your legs. The cuff are inflated an deflated – firts on the arms, then on the legs. When a Doppler ultrasound is also done, gel is applied to your skin – typically on your feet. After the leg cuff are deflated, the doctor moves a pen – like instrument (called a transducer) over your skin to measure blood flow in the arteries. The ABI, like a regular blood pressure test, is generally a simple and painless test.
What is a Doppler ultrasound?
A doopler ultrasound show a three-dimensional, moving imageof various parts of the body. This type of test is very similar to the ultrasound test done on pregnant women.
The ultrasound machine emits sound waves at a frequency that people can´t hear. As the sound echoes off of the body´s fluids and tissues, the machine records and measures how the waves are reflected back. The machine measure even tiny changes in each sound wave´s pitch and direction. As the waves “echo” off the blood vessels, the waves show:
Doopler ultradound show real-time images. For instance, it shows actual movement of blood through arteries. So doctor use the test to find blockages in various part of the body:
Doppler ultrasound techonology is also in an echocardiogram, which is a moving image of the heart.
When you have a Doppler ultrasound, you may need to partly or fully undress and put on a hospital gown. You then lie on an exam table. The technician spreads gel on your skin on the area to be tested (for instance, the neck o leg). The gel helps transmit the sound waves. The technician then moves a pen-like instrument (called a transducer) around on your skin.
The machine senses the echoes of the sound waves as they reflect off of your body. The machine´s computer screem then show the resulting image: a moving picture of your blood vessels.
Ultrasound is a painless procedure. However, you may experience some discomfort as the sonographer guides the transducer over body, especially if you´re required to have a full bladder.
What is an ECG?
An eletrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) reveals how your heart´s electrical system is working. The ECG senses and records your hearbeats, or heart rhythms. The results are printed on strip of paper. An ECG can also help your doctor diagnose whether:
In all, there are three kinds of tests that record your heart´s electrical activity, each for a different period of time:
What are the parts of an ECG strip?
The peaks on an electrocardiogram (ECG) strip are called waves. Together, all the peaks and valleys give your doctor important information about how your heart is working:
What can i expect?
When you have an electrocardiogram (ECG) you undress from the waist up, put on a hospital gown, and lie on an exam table. As many as 12 small pathes called electrodes are placed on your chest, neck arms, and legs. The electrodes, wich connect t wires on the ECG machine, sense the heart´s electrical signals. The machine then traces your heart´s rhythm on a strip of graph paper.
To find out if you have peripheral vascular disease (PVD), your doctor may suggest one or more of tests listed below. Some of the tests may be done to see if you are also developing blockages in your heart´s arteries (Coronary arteries). The test result can also help your doctor choose the best treatment(s) for you.
In some cases you may be sent to specialists for diagnosis and testing – and sometimes for treatment. To learn more, go to the Your Treatment Team section.
Often a very simple test can reveal a blockage in peripheral blood vessels: your doctor can listen to your blood flow with a stethoscope. An abnormal whooshing sound (called a bruit) as the blood passes through the artery can signal a blockage. A stethoscope test is a good preliminary test. Your doctor may order follow-up tests as well.
Angiogram
What is an angiogram?
An angiogram is a image of your blood vessels, similar to an x-ray. An angiogram shows:
An angiogram might be ordered if your doctor suspects blockages in:
The angiogram begins with a cardiac catherization. During a cardiac catherization, a small, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel. Once the catheter is in place, your doctor inject dye to begin the angiogram. The dye allows your blood vessels to show up as images on a monitor – almost like roads on a map. If the angiogram shows a blocked artery, your doctor may be able treat it at the time with a procedure such as balloon angioplasty.
What can I expect?
Your test will performed in a “cath lab.” When you have an angiogram you undress and put on a hospital gown or sheet. You lie on an table and an intravenous (IV) line is put into your arm. The IV delivers fluids and medications during the procedure. The medicaation makes you groggy, but not unconscius. The doctor makes a small incision for the catheter, The area of the incision will be numbed so you shouldn´t feel pain, but you may feel some pressure as the catheter is inserted. When the doctor injects the dye, you might notice a:
What is an ABI?
An ankle brachial index (ABI) is a test can diagnose peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The ABI measures blood pressure in your ankle as well as in your arm. Your doctor compares the blood pressure readings in your arms and the readings in your legs. In this way the ABI can reveal blocked blood flow in the arteries of your legs.
The ABI is usually a good indicator of:
Sometimes your doctor order other test that are done at the same time as the ABI. One of these test is a Doppler ultrasound. An ultrasound uses sound waves that bounce off the blood vessels and other tissues in your leg or foot. In this way the ultrasound can measure the amount of blood flowing through the ateries in that specific location.
Sometimes an ABI is done along with a stress test (or exercise test). This is recommended especially if the doctor gets abnormal ABI readings. In these cases, the doctor performs an ABI both defore and after the stress test,
To learn more about a stress test or a Dlopper ultrasound, go to those entries in the Test section.
What can i expect
When you have an ankle brachial index (ABI), you undress, put on a hospital gown, and lie on an exam table. A blood pressure cuff is put on each arm, and cuff are placed at four locations o your legs. The cuff are inflated an deflated – firts on the arms, then on the legs. When a Doppler ultrasound is also done, gel is applied to your skin – typically on your feet. After the leg cuff are deflated, the doctor moves a pen – like instrument (called a transducer) over your skin to measure blood flow in the arteries. The ABI, like a regular blood pressure test, is generally a simple and painless test.
What is a Doppler ultrasound?
A doopler ultrasound show a three-dimensional, moving imageof various parts of the body. This type of test is very similar to the ultrasound test done on pregnant women.
The ultrasound machine emits sound waves at a frequency that people can´t hear. As the sound echoes off of the body´s fluids and tissues, the machine records and measures how the waves are reflected back. The machine measure even tiny changes in each sound wave´s pitch and direction. As the waves “echo” off the blood vessels, the waves show:
Doopler ultradound show real-time images. For instance, it shows actual movement of blood through arteries. So doctor use the test to find blockages in various part of the body:
Doppler ultrasound techonology is also in an echocardiogram, which is a moving image of the heart.
When you have a Doppler ultrasound, you may need to partly or fully undress and put on a hospital gown. You then lie on an exam table. The technician spreads gel on your skin on the area to be tested (for instance, the neck o leg). The gel helps transmit the sound waves. The technician then moves a pen-like instrument (called a transducer) around on your skin.
The machine senses the echoes of the sound waves as they reflect off of your body. The machine´s computer screem then show the resulting image: a moving picture of your blood vessels.
Ultrasound is a painless procedure. However, you may experience some discomfort as the sonographer guides the transducer over body, especially if you´re required to have a full bladder.
What is an ECG?
An eletrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) reveals how your heart´s electrical system is working. The ECG senses and records your hearbeats, or heart rhythms. The results are printed on strip of paper. An ECG can also help your doctor diagnose whether:
In all, there are three kinds of tests that record your heart´s electrical activity, each for a different period of time:
What are the parts of an ECG strip?
The peaks on an electrocardiogram (ECG) strip are called waves. Together, all the peaks and valleys give your doctor important information about how your heart is working:
What can i expect?
When you have an electrocardiogram (ECG) you undress from the waist up, put on a hospital gown, and lie on an exam table. As many as 12 small pathes called electrodes are placed on your chest, neck arms, and legs. The electrodes, wich connect t wires on the ECG machine, sense the heart´s electrical signals. The machine then traces your heart´s rhythm on a strip of graph paper.
Because lifestyle factor can affect peripheral vascular disease (PVD), part of your tratment may include living a healthier lifestyle. For example, if you smoke, your doctor or nurse can describe some stop-smoking programs that might work for you. To learn more, go to the Risk Factor section.
Other types of tratment depend on your test result. Your doctor may recommend one more of these medications or procedures.
Medications
Procedures
Our knowledgeable and courteous staff will help set up a consultation for you, schedule surgical procedures, discuss your insurance, and answer any questions you may have.
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