Extremities

Conditions

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)

A condition in which the arteries that carry blood to the arms or legs become narrowed or clogged, interfering with the normal flow of blood.

Varicose veins

Varicose veins are enlarged, swollen vessels that have lost their valve effectiveness and become elongated, rope-like, bulged and thickened.

Tests

Ankle-brachial index (ABI)

A painless exam in which ultrasound is used to measure the blood pressure in the feet and arms.

Treatments and Procedures

Balloon angioplasty

Opens blocked or narrowed blood vessels by inserting a very small balloon into the vessel and inflating it. Used by interventional radiologists to unblock clogged arteries in the legs or arms (called peripheral vascular disease or PVD), kidneys, brain or elsewhere in the body.

Central venous access catheter (CVAC)

Insertion of a tube beneath the skin and into the blood vessels so that patients can receive medication or nutrients directly into the blood stream or so blood can be drawn.

Endovenous laser treatment (EVLT)

Treats varicose veins by using a laser fiber to deliver energy inside the vein, directly into the vein wall to close down the non-functional vein completely.

Thrombolysis

Dissolves blood clots by injecting clot-busting drugs at the site of the clot. Treats blood clots in the brain to reverse the effects of stroke; treats deep vein thrombosis in the leg to prevent permanent disability.

Devices

Stent

A small flexible tube made of plastic or wire mesh, used to treat a variety of medical conditions (e.g., to hold open clogged blood vessels or other pathways that have been narrowed or blocked by tumors or obstructions).

Stent-graft

Reinforces a ruptured or ballooning section of an artery (an aneurysm) with a fabric-wrapped stent C a small, flexible mesh tube used to "patch" the blood vessel. Also known as an endograft.

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