A new technique called retrograde access could improve treatment for patients with peripheral artery disease and reduce the risk for amputation, according to a news release from Houston Methodist Hospital.
The procedure allows surgeons to go through the arteries in the foot and work their way upward to remove plaque that develops in the artery walls and prevents blood flow in the lower extremities.
According to Hosam El-Sayed, MD, an endovascular surgeon at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, this procedure is only recommended for complex patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) that have heavily-calcified arteries.
“During this procedure, we access those blocked arteries both from the foot and from the top of the leg through the groin and meet in the middle,” El-Sayed stated in the release. “Once that occurs, we can open the vessels with a balloon, a stent, or we can shave the plaque that has built up over time and free blood flow to the legs and feet.”
