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PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE CARE
Want to learn more about PAD Treatments? Learn more at Azura Vascular Care.
Diagnostic Arteriograms
An arteriogram is an imaging test that uses x-rays and a contrast agent (sometimes referred to as "dye") to see inside arteries. It can be used to view arteries in the heart, brain, kidney, and many other parts of the body.
Angioplasty, Stenting, and Atherectomy
Blocked or narrowed blood vessels can be a serious result of PAD. Our physicians use angioplasty to help open these narrowed arteries. This technique uses a very small balloon attached to a thin catheter, which is inserted into a blood vessel through a small nick in the skin. The catheter is threaded under x-ray guidance to the site of the blockage, and the balloon is inflated to open the artery. Sometimes, a small metal scaffold, called a stent, is inserted to keep the blood vessel open.
Atherectomy is a minimally invasive method for removing atherosclerotic plaque from an artery. Unlike angioplasty and stents which push plaque into the vessel wall, atherectomy involves removing the plaque burden within the vessel. Some key differences between atherectomy and angioplasty and stenting are less vessel trauma, no foreign object (stent) left in the body, and all future options for the treated site left open.
Non-invasive Vascular Imaging Including Doppler Ultrasound and Segmental Plethysmography
Augusta Vascular Center performs non-invasive studies such as ultrasounds, segmental pressures, and pulse volume recordings to detect vascular disease. Ultrasound is the most important tool in the vascular laboratory. Large ultrasound machines are used to take pictures of blood vessels and blood flow in these vessels with color Doppler and pulsed Doppler. Segmental pressures and pulse volume recordings are other important tools used in a vascular laboratory. These tests are performed to locate the area of blockage in the arms and legs.
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