Leg pain that worsens with walking and improves with rest is one of the earliest signals of peripheral artery disease. Soris Pain & Vascular Institute diagnoses and treats PAD before it leads to tissue loss or limb-threatening complications.
Our physicians use duplex ultrasound and ankle-brachial index testing to pinpoint blockages, then restore blood flow with catheter-based procedures or surgical bypass.
Cramping, aching, or heaviness in the legs during physical activity is called claudication. The discomfort typically affects the calves, thighs, or buttocks and fades within minutes of rest. Soris Pain & Vascular Institute evaluates claudication with noninvasive vascular testing.
Reduced arterial blood flow causes the feet and toes to feel persistently cold. Patients often describe numbness or tingling that progresses over months.
PAD restricts oxygen delivery to the skin and soft tissue. Wounds on the feet or lower legs that fail to heal within several weeks may indicate advanced peripheral artery disease.
Shiny skin, hair loss on the legs, and thickened toenails are visible markers of chronic arterial insufficiency. These signs often accompany other PAD symptoms.
Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol are the risk factors of PAD. Patients over 65 and those with a family history of cardiovascular disease face the highest risk.
Soris Pain & Vascular Institute recommends vascular screening for anyone with two or more of these factors.
Sedentary lifestyles and obesity accelerate plaque formation in the peripheral arteries. Uncontrolled blood sugar in diabetic patients compounds vessel damage and raises the likelihood of limb ischemia.
A catheter-mounted balloon opens the narrowed artery segment. A metal stent holds the vessel open and restores normal blood flow. Soris Pain & Vascular Institute performs Angioplasty & Stenting as an outpatient procedure.
Atherectomy uses a catheter-based cutting or shaving device to remove hardened plaque from the artery wall. The procedure is especially effective for calcified lesions that resist balloon angioplasty alone.
Vascular Ultrasound measures flow through the affected segment before treatment and confirms the artery stays open afterward. Soris Pain & Vascular Institute performs it on site, with no contrast and no radiation.
Structured walking programs, smoking cessation, and medication therapy form the foundation of PAD management. Soris Pain & Vascular Institute develops individualized exercise prescriptions alongside procedural treatment plans.
Related Vascular Conditions
Atherosclerosis is the underlying disease that causes PAD, and it rarely confines itself to one artery. Patients diagnosed with PAD at Soris Pain & Vascular Institute are screened for circulation problems elsewhere during the same visit.
When a narrowed artery closes completely, the result is Peripheral Artery Occlusion, which needs treatment within hours rather than weeks.
FAQ
Most patients describe cramping or aching in the legs during walking that goes away with rest. Some experience cold feet, numbness, or wounds that heal slowly. Soris Pain & Vascular Institute recommends an evaluation if leg symptoms interfere with daily activity.
Lifestyle changes and medical therapy slow PAD progression and improve symptoms. Procedures like angioplasty and atherectomy restore blood flow to the affected arteries. Soris Pain & Vascular develops a treatment plan based on each patient's disease severity and goals.
Catheter-based procedures at Soris Pain & Vascular typically take one to two hours. Most patients go home the same day and return to normal activities within a week.
Board-certified physicians bringing hospital-level, minimally invasive interventional procedures to outpatient centers.
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