Atherosclerotic disease is a major health problem in the ‘over 50’ population in Kerala. To date, most attention has focused on the arteries of the heart and the brain whilst PVD has received less awareness. PVD supposedly affects 1 in 20 people over the age of 50 in the developed world. Its incidence in Kerala is expected to be comparable. In about 25% of those with PVD, the disease progresses over time, leading to loss of mobility, amputation or even death.
We offer the following management options for various stages of PVD:
Leg Pain on walking (intermittent claudication):
This is usually due to blocks in the arteries that supply the muscles of the thigh or leg. If symptoms are mild, they can be managed by life style changes to modify risk factors (cessation of smoking, diet control), treatment of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and exercise programmes and medications to thin the blood. Severe disabling leg pain may require angioplasty, stents or even bypass surgery .
Pain at rest, ulcers or gangrene of the legs or diabetic foot ulcers. All this signify a threat to the limb and suggest the need to increase the blood supply in these patients by some means. Foot complications are one of the most serious and costly complications of diabetes mellitus. It is estimated that 15% of all diabetics will develop a serious foot condition at some time in their lives that may often lead to amputation of a toe, foot or leg. In these cases, tests are first done to further assess the severity of the arterial disease such as blood tests, Doppler test, Colour Duplex ultrasound scan, Digital subtraction angiography or Magnetic Resonance angiography. Depending on the results of these tests, further treatment would be required to increase the blood supply to prevent amputation. |
