Peripheral Vascular Disease Treatments

The main goals for treatment of peripheral vascular disease are to control the symptoms and halt the progression of the disease to lower the risk for heart attack, stroke, and other complications. 

Specific treatment will be determined by your health care provider based on:

  • Your age, overall health, and medical history
  • Extent of the disease
  • Your signs and symptoms
  • Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
  • Expectations for the course of the disease
  • Your opinion or preference

Treatment may include:

  • Lifestyle changes to control risk factors, including regular exercise, proper nutrition, and smoking cessation
  • Aggressive treatment of existing conditions that may worsen PVD, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
  • Medications for improving blood flow, such as antiplatelet agents (blood thinners) and medications that relax the blood vessel walls
  • Vascular surgery —a bypass graft using a blood vessel from another part of the body or a tube made of synthetic material is placed in the area of the blocked or narrowed artery to reroute the blood flow
  • Angioplasty — a catheter (long hollow tube) is used to create a larger opening in an artery to increase blood flow. Angioplasty may be done in many of the arteries in the body. There are several types of angioplasty procedures, including:
    • Balloon angioplasty (a small balloon is inflated inside the blocked artery to open the blocked area)
    • Atherectomy (the blocked area inside the artery is "shaved" away by a tiny device on the end of a catheter)
    • Laser angioplasty (a laser is used to "vaporize" the blockage in the artery)
    • Stent (a tiny coil is expanded inside the blocked artery to open the blocked area and is left in place to keep the artery open)

With both angioplasty and vascular surgery, an angiogram is often done before the procedure. 

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