Trusted Peripheral Artery Disease Treatment Specialist in Kolkata

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the arms or legs. This condition, also known as peripheral arterial disease, primarily affects the legs, leading to insufficient blood flow to meet demand. This may cause leg pain when walking, known as claudication, along with other symptoms. Peripheral artery disease often indicates a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, a condition referred to as atherosclerosis. Treatment for PAD typically involves lifestyle changes, such as exercising, eating healthy foods, and avoiding smoking or tobacco use.

As a peripheral artery disease specialist in Kolkata, Dr. Avik Bhattacharyya offers advanced treatment options, including minimally invasive PAD treatment and endovascular procedures for peripheral arterial disease, to help patients manage their condition effectively.

Symptoms

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) may not cause symptoms, or symptoms may be mild. PAD symptoms include:

  1. Leg pain when walking.
  2. Muscle pain or cramping in the arms or legs, often in the calf.
  3. Muscle pain in the arms or legs that begins with exercise and ends with rest.
  4. Painful cramping in one or both of the hips, thighs or calves after walking or climbing stairs or other activities.
  5. Pain when using the arms, such as aching and cramping when knitting or writing
  6. Coldness in the lower leg or foot, especially when compared with the other side
  7. Leg numbness or weakness
  8. No pulse or a weak pulse in the legs or feet
healthy vs normal PAD

The muscle pain in peripheral artery disease may:

  • Be mild to extreme
  • Wake you up from sleep
  • Make it hard to walk or exercise
  • Occur during rest or when lying down if the condition is severe

Other symptoms of PAD may include:

  1. Shiny skin on the legs
  2. Skin color changes on the legs
  3. Slow-growing toenails
  4. Sores on the toes, feet or legs that won't heal
  5. Hair loss or slower hair growth on the legs
  6. Erectile dysfunction

Risk factors

Risk factors for peripheral artery disease (PAD) include:

  • A family history of peripheral artery disease, heart disease or stroke
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Increasing age, especially after 65, or after 50 if you have risk factors for atherosclerosis
  • Obesity
  • Smoking

Treatments of choises

For some people with more severe Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), leg pain may still cause problems in daily life, even after a few months of exercise and medications. In more severe cases, improving blood flow is essential to relieve pain at rest or to heal a wound. Advanced PAD causing severe pain and limited mobility may require endovascular (minimally invasive) or surgical treatment. Some heart disease treatments also address peripheral artery disease, including: Angioplasty, Stents

Angioplasty

Angioplasty is a procedure that creates more space inside an artery that has plaque built up inside it. Your healthcare provider uses a tiny balloon to force plaque against the artery walls so blood can get through your artery. Often, they also place a stent or tube inside the newly opened space to keep it open.

Stenting

A stent is a tiny, metal tube that holds your artery open to allow blood to go through better. Your provider can put in a stent after doing an angioplasty, which pushes aside a collection of plaque inside your artery. Stents are permanent and can keep your artery from getting too narrow again. Other kinds of stents help keep airways or ducts open.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Get the Answers You Need About Your Care and Treatment Options

― Peripheral artery disease is often caused by atherosclerosis, where fat deposits (plaques) build up in the arteries and reduce blood flow. In PAD your extremities usually your legs don't receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand. This causes symptoms, most notably leg pain while walking (intermittent claudication).

― Factors that increase the risk of developing PAD include : Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, family history & obesity.

― Intermittent claudication like painful cramps in your hip, thigh or calf muscles after activity, such as walking or climbing stairs. Lefg numbness or weakness. Coldness in your lower leg or foot, especially when compared with the other side. Sores or wounds on your toes, feet or legs that heals slowly. A change in the colour of your legs. If peripheral artery disease progresses, pain may even occur when you are at rest or when you are lying down. It may be intense enough to disrupt sleep. Hanging your legs over the edge of your bed or walking around your room may temporarily relieve the pain.

Physical activity : - One of the most effective preventive measures of PAD is regular physical activity.

Diet - eating a healthy diet can control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. A diet low saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol can help lower blood cholesterol levels, but cholesterol-lowering medication may be necessary.

Smoking - Tobacco smoking increases your risk of PAD as well as your risk for heart attack and stroke. Stop smoking.

Medication - High blood pressure medications and/or cholesterol-lowering medications as recommended by your doctor. Antiplatelet medications to help prevent blood clots.

― Endovascular surgery is a form of minimally invasive surgery designed to access many regions of the body via major blood vessels.

With the newer minimally invasive treatments available, our patient's do not have to suffer from varicose veins symptoms any more. They will be given the treatmnt by expert hands with the most advanced available techniques.