Medical and surgical treatment options for lower extremity atherosclerosis

Atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) can be treated with medication and / or surgery. Let’s review both of these treatment options and when each option is indicated.

The management of mild atherosclerosis with medication mainly consists of statin drug therapy. Statins lower cholesterol which reduces plaque buildup on the artery walls that leads to blockage. In 2006, statins were reported to clear plaque out of coronary arteries, and have been used with similar hopes in patients with atherosclerosis in the lower extremities.

If the patient’s symptoms are not bothersome, management with medication can be an effective way to prevent further plaque buildup and potentially clear plaque out of the arteries. As well, it avoids an invasive surgical intervention.

With mild atherosclerosis, surgeons employ a watchful waiting practice which includes serial visits to clinically track symptoms and perform ultrasounds. Ultrasounds provide information on the severity of the disease and its pace of advancement.

Sometimes, even with complete femoropopliteal occlusion, the symptoms are not severe enough for surgery. Collateral artery growth in response to chronic arterial blockage can provide adequate flow to the calf and foot, which prevents rest pain and ulcers. Collaterals act as a great collection of naturally grown bypass grafts.

During the watchful waiting period, frequent and purposeful walking can help promote collateral circulation growth.

Treatment to reopen or bypass the artery is usually elective until the patient experiences rest pain or ulcers, or if the ankle-brachial index (ABI) drops to 0.5 or less (regardless of symptoms).

Surgical treatment for severe atherosclerosis consists of four options:

1. Endarterectomy
2. Angioplasty
3. Stent placement
4. Bypass graft

Endarterectomy is the surgical removal of part of an artery’s inner lining along with the obstructive plaque. This procedure is also referred to as a roto-rooter procedure. On the other hand, angioplasty is the unblocking of a vessel using an expandable balloon catheter that pushes plaque up against the artery walls.

If a bypass graft surgery is anticipated, usually lower extremity ultrasound vein mapping is requested to measure the great saphenous vein (GSV) diameter. This helps you decide if the GSV is viable as an autologous graft to bypass the diseased artery.

Material for an autologous bypass graft is taken from the patient’s body, as opposed to an allogenic bypass graft which is taken from donated material. Autologous grafts are preferred over allogenic grafts because there is a lower risk of infection.

It is very useful to perform a preoperative ABI as a baseline so that later ABI tests can be used to evaluate the surgery’s success and the healing progress. A preoperative ABI can be done alongside the ultrasound vein mapping.

Unfortunately, sometimes advanced damage has already been done to the tissue that wasn’t receiving adequate blood flow. In this case, a surgical repair or bypass will not help, and amputation is unavoidable.