Leg pain is sometimes caused by plaque build up in the arteries in the legs. This narrowing of the arteries in the legs can limit the blood flow to the lower legs and cause problems. Several symptoms may indicate that the legs are not getting enough blood. These symptoms include: numbness or tingling in the feet or toes, dull aching pains in the hips, thighs or calf muscles (claudication), changes in skin color (blueish tinge), cold feet, sores that do not heal and buttock pain. Opening the arteries so that more blood reaches the lower legs can help restore good blood flow and reduce these symptoms. Angioplasty and placing stents are two ways to increase blood flow to the legs and reduce painful symptoms.
Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or PTA is a procedure done by Dr. Mark Sanz in the cardiac catheterization lab. The basic idea of angioplasty is to position a catheter with a small inflatable balloon at the tip inside the narrow section of the artery. The balloon is then inflated so that the arterial wall is stretched. This process increases the diameter of the narrowed section so that the blood can flow freely through. The balloon is then deflated and removed.
Stent implantation is another technique used here at IHI to improve blood flow. A stent graft is a small metal scaffold that is permanently placed inside the narrowed section of the artery to hold the vessel open. A stent is placed using roughly the same technique as is used during angioplasty. The catheter is used to guide the balloon and the stent to the narrowed site within the artery. The stent expands as the balloon is inflated and pushes against the arterial wall. The stent then remains expanded inside the artery. The balloon can be deflated and removed but the stent will stay behind to prevent the vessel from becoming narrowed again (restenosing).
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