Peripheral Artery Disease

A common cause of chronic leg pain is poor circulation. The medical name for this condition is peripheral artery disease, or PAD. PAD can seriously impair a person’s ability to walk and function independently.

Patients with this may experience pain in their legs, hip or buttocks when walking a certain distance. Resting usually relieves the pain but it returns when walking that same distance again. These symptoms are known as intermittent claudication. A person experiencing these symptoms should call their doctor.

Common Risk Factors For PAD include:
            Family history of heart or vascular disease
            History of smoking
            High blood pressure
            Diabetes
            High cholesterol
            Obesity

Your doctor can diagnose PAD using different tests including ultrasound, CT scanning or MRA. Additionally, the diagnosis can be made using a test called an arteriogram. An arteriogram is a special x-ray of the arteries. If treatment is needed, here at the Elliot Health System, we can provide a number of non- surgical options, such as angioplasty and vascular stent placement.

Stent implantation is an exciting option for patients with PAD; this is a major improvement in the way that vascular disease is being treated. With a stent, patients can get back on their feet right away, without leg pain and return to a more active and independent life almost immediately, with virtually no post-procedural recovery time.

Dr Carl Fier is offering his services for both cardiac and vascular intervention here at the Elliot Health System.