Medication. Medications that lower cholesterol or control high blood
pressure may be prescribed. Medication also is available that has
been shown to significantly increase pain-free walking distance and
total walking distance in people with intermittent claudication.
Other medications that help prevent blood clots or the build-up of
plaque in the arteries are available, as well.
Angioplasty. In this procedure, an interventional radiologist
inserts a very small balloon attached to a thin tube (catheter) into
a blood vessel through a small nick in the skin. The catheter is
threaded under X-ray guidance to the site of the blocked artery. The
balloon is inflated to open the artery. In some cases, a tiny metal
cylinder, or stent, is left behind in the artery to keep it open.
Thrombolytic therapy. This treatment is used by an interventional
radiologist if the blockage in the artery is caused by a blood clot.
Thrombolytic drugs - sometimes called clot-bursting drugs - dissolve
the clot and restore blood flow. Usually, the drugs are administered
through a catheter directly into the clot. These drugs are
frequently combined with another treatment, such as angioplasty.
Bypass grafts. In this procedure, a vein graft from another part
of the body or a graft made from artificial material is used to
create a detour around the blocked artery. Bypass grafts typically
require surgery, but other ways of placing the grafts without major
surgery are now being developed.
