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Home > Press Center > Percutaneous Tranluminal Angioplasty Helps Clear Peripheral Arteries

Contact:
Emily Kalata
Communications Manager
312.334.2309

Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) often have atherosclerosis, which causes arteries (generally in the leg) to become blocked or narrowed due to plaque build-up. Atherosclerosis prevents good blood flow to the muscles and tissues and inhibits the body’s normal response to exercise and wound healing. 

A study published in the August 2006 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery, describes the use of percutaneous tranluminal angioplasty (PTA), which was used successfully to reopen blocked and narrowed arteries in PAD patients.

The PTA procedure includes the placement of a balloon inside the artery that is expanded to breakup plaque. “We found that PTA provided excellent functional outcomes with good patient satisfaction, especially when treating claudication (pain or leg cramps during exercise),” said Corey A. Kalbaugh, MS, from the academic department of surgery at Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, S.C. 

“Our researchers believe that PTA can be the first treatment option for claudication, although other patients with more severe disease may benefit from it, as well.” said Kalbaugh. “Patients with PAD often complain about foot pain while sleeping (rest pain), or ulcerations on their feet or legs that will not heal. With a successful, minimally invasive PTA, these patients may experience pain relief and wound healing. They can avoid limb loss, become more mobile and live independently. Furthermore, patients may prefer PTA instead of open bypass surgery because there is a short (or even no) hospital stay.”    

Kalbaugh and a team of researchers did a one-year prospective study to determine quality of life outcomes for PAD patients treated with PTA. Eighty-four patients with 118 chronically ischemic limbs underwent PTA with or without stenting. All patients completed a pre-procedure quality of life questionnaire (SF-36) for baseline data and were followed every three months after treatment for one year.

Of the 84 patients, 54 were treated for lifestyle-limiting claudication and 30 were treated for critical limb ischemia. When reviewing the percentage of success at one year comparing patients with claudication to critical limb ischemia patients respectively, percentages for various factors were as follows: primary patency, 78.5 and 35.2; limb salvage, 100 and 77.2; amputation-free survival, 96.3 and 50.0; survival, 96.3 and 60.0; ambulation maintenance, 100 and 75.8; and independence maintenance, 100 and 92.8.

“In addition there was statistically significant improvement after one year in all physical function categories including functional outcomes such as maintenance/improvement of a patient’s mobility and maintenance/improvement of a patient’s independent living situation,” said Kalbaugh. “Our findings support a more liberal use of PTA intervention for patients with vasculogenic claudication and suggest clinical restraint in those with critical limb ischemia. However, effectiveness of this treatment is under rigorous study and the best treatment must be determined on a case-by-case basis.”