Imaging & Interventional Specialists – Your Gangrene Solution
Imaging & Interventional Specialists are experienced and successful treating one of the most feared endpoints of peripheral arterial disease: Gangrene. As peripheral arterial disease worsens critical limb ischemia results resulting in tissues not receiving nutrients and dying. The dying tissue can become infected, discolored with skin breakdown-gangrene. Our board-certified vascular physicians offer in office diagnostic testing and will customize a treatment plan for your gangrene. Our medical team will focus on treating your end-stage peripheral arterial disease to maximize your chance of treating your gangrene and preventing or postponing amputation.
What is Critical Limb Ischemia and How Does It Lead To Gangrene?
As we get older fat can deposit in our arteries and can lead to strokes, heart attacks and peripheral arterial disease. The fatty plaques that build up in the legs can lead to bring sensations in the feet, numbness, cramps, sores and ulcers. Your skin may become shiny and brittle and there may be hair loss. If not treated plaque buildup can lead to critical limb ischemia where your tissues do not get enough nutrients and begin to die. This can result in rest pain, gangrene and the need for amputation.
What Causes Peripheral Arterial Disease?
Peripheral arterial disease is caused by narrowing of the arteries due to atherosclerosis causing decreased blood flow. Risk factors include age (greater than 50 years old), history of heart disease, family history of high cholesterol, high blood pressure or PAD. Other risk factors which can be treated include: diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, smoking, and being overweight.
How do Imaging & Interventional Specialists Find Out Whether You Have Critical Limb Ischemia?
The Imaging & Interventional Specialist team has in office diagnostic technologies to help identify whether you have end-stage peripheral arterial disease, how severe it is and what techniques will assist with treating your gangrene. Besides our careful history and physical exam, the team at Imaging & Interventional Specialists may obtain ultrasound studies, blood pressure measurements (ankle-brachial index), tissue oxygenation levels, angiography or other advanced imaging (for example Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to aid with accurate diagnoses and help develop your treatment plan, as needed.
What Advanced “Pinhole” Procedures Does Imaging & Interventional Specialists Offer for End-State Peripheral Arterial Disease Causing Gangrene
For critical limb ischemia or end-stage peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Imaging & Interventional Specialists will determine if non-surgical vascular interventional radiology (VIR) procedures can address your situation or whether surgery is a better option. Regarding gangrene, the aim is limb salvage and to prevent or put off amputation where possible. Lifestyle changes include exercise and quitting smoking. Aggressive treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol is important. Medicines that improve blood flow and relax the blood vessels may also be of benefit.
For critical limb ischemia or end-stage peripheral arterial disease Imaging & Interventional Specialist MDs may use diagnostic arterial ultrasound, ankle/brachial index blood pressure measurement and tissue oxygenation measurements before using “pinhole” procedures such as:
- Angiography (taking pictures of your arteries to diagnose where there are problems)
- Angioplasty (introducing a small balloon to open up areas that are closed due to plaque)
- Stent placement (placing a cylindrical brace to hold your artery open)
- Atherectomy (introducing a tiny instrument that will crear some of the plaque on the inside of your disease artery)
Imaging & Interventional Specialists “Pinhole” Procedures: Fast Recovery, Less Risk, Less Pain, Comfortable Setting
Our experienced board-certified specialists successfully perform “pinhole” procedures every day offering this region leading, state-of-the-art solutions for gangrene due to critical limb ischemia or end-stage peripheral arterial disease. Our non-surgical image guided procedures are cutting edge technology without the cutting, without the scalpel. Oftentimes you leave only with a Band-Aid!
- Procedures may be done in a comfortable outpatient setting with familiar friendly staff
- Pinhole procedures offer fast recovery, less risk, and less pain
Why Imaging & Interventional Specialists?
Imaging & Interventional Specialists are leaders in interventional radiology and experts in the non-surgical procedures that will salvage your limb, treat gangrene, and prevent or put off an amputation by addressing your critical limb ischemia caused by end-stage peripheral arterial disease.
Using state-of-the-art equipment, our experienced board-certified specialists are focused on your best outcome.
At Imaging & Interventional Specialists board certified physicians offer in-house testing to diagnose severity of your peripheral arterial disease and to develop an individualized treatment program for your critical limb ischemia caused by end-stage peripheral arterial disease that causes gangrene.