PAD, Peripheral Arterial Disease, is a serious, yet treatable disease, characterized by a narrowing or blockage of the arteries that carry oxygenated blood to extremities such as the legs. Dr. Simon can perform a minimally invasive, same day, outpatient vascular procedure with just a tiny pin hole. Because many of the symptoms of PAD go undetected or mimic other conditions, it may be difficult to detect PAD until it begins to manifest. Avoiding many of the risk factors, like smoking and obesity by cessation and exercise will stop the disease before it starts.In some people, peripheral artery disease doesn’t cause any symptoms. However, in others, it causes claudication(1).
Claudication is the pain in your leg, thigh, or arms when you perform a physical activity such as walking. It usually disappears when you settle down for rest.
Damaged vein walls hinder the circulatory system, allowing blood to collect and flow in a retrograde (backward) fashion when the muscles relax. This creates an unusually high pressure buildup in the veins.
The leg veins carry deoxygenated blood from the limbs back to the heart - against gravity.
Venous leg pain may be caused by either superficial venous insufficiency due to a dysfunction in the superficial vein valves that are designed to prevent blood flowing backwards away from the heart or Deep Vein Disease which occurs in pelvis due to increased pressure on the pelvic veins (iliac veins) causing an obstructive phenomenon preventing or slowing blood flow out of the legs.
Leg pain, swelling, discoloration, ulcerations, cellulitis/infections and/or blood clots may develop due to pelvic/iliac vein compression.
Dialysis is a process used to treat patients whose kidneys are no longer working properly. It involves a special machine and tubing that removes blood from the body, cleanses it of waste and extra fluid and then returns it back to the body. To undergo dialysis, a physician first creates access to a patient’s blood vessel using one of three methods:
a fistula, which is made by joining together an artery and vein to make a bigger high-flow blood vessel.
a graft, in which a soft plastic tube is placed between an artery and a vein, creating an artificial high-flow blood vessel.
Catheter access, in which a narrow plastic tube is inserted into a large vein in the neck or groin.
