Angioplasty for peripheral vascular disease.
Surgery is no longer the sole option for patients whose peripheral vascular disease requires treatment beyond conservative management; advances in angioplasty have allowed the physician to offer revascularization procedures even to patients who previously would not have been candidates for surgical reconstruction. Several issues, including the location, severity, and number of lesions and the feasibility of surgery, need to be considered in each case. A team approach, utilizing the skills and expertise of the vascular surgeon, the vascular radiologist (or other physician skilled in angioplasty), and the patient's physician, should ensure that the best choice is made for each patient.
Greenfield
A J
AJ
Boston University Medical School.
D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans