Services Cardiology Peripheral Cardiology

Peripheral Vascular Cardiology

Peripheral Cardiology Overview

Peripheral cardiology interventions are offered at Hattiesburg Clinic. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), also known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD), is the narrowing and/or hardening of arteries, which causes a decrease in blood flow. Hardening of the arteries is also called atherosclerosis. Patients with PVD may experience symptoms that include:

Numbness/weakness in legs
Burning pain, typically in the toes
Wounds on the toe, feet or legs that do not heal properly
Skin changes, including a difference in color, temperature or texture

Extreme cases of PVD may lead to the need to amputate the limb. To help prevent amputation, Hattiesburg Clinic offers a variety of non-invasive options for treating PVD, including:

Angioplasty
Atherectomy
Stenting

Angioplasty

Over time, plaque can build up in the heart’s arteries and can potentially cause symptoms, such as blocked blood flow, stroke or heart attack. Angioplasty is a catheter-based procedure that opens the blocked arteries to restore normal blood flow to the patient’s heart.

Angioplasty is performed when a catheter is inserted through the arterial system to the plaque-blocked artery. Typically, the patient does not feel any pain, as the arteries do not have any nerves. Once the catheter is positioned and the blockage is found, a tiny balloon is positioned and then inflated. When the balloon is inflated, it flattens the plaque, and when complete, the catheter is removed.

Atherectomy

Atherectomy is catheter-based procedure used to remove plaque buildup in the arteries. This procedure is very similar to angioplasty, but it varies in that it uses additional tools to remove the plaque from the walls. Hattiesburg Clinic utilizes both orbital and laser atherectomy.

Stenting

A stent is a small tube to treat arteries that may have become narrow over time due to the buildup of plaque. Stents often open narrow arteries, help avoid a heart attack and reduce heart disease-related symptoms such as chest pain. Stenting is a mildly invasive procedure compared to other procedures, such as bypass surgery.