Arterial disease
Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Their most common disease is atherosclerosis, which narrows and blocks them over time; another very important one is aneurysm, a dilatation that can rupture.
Atherosclerosis, a whole-body disease
Deposits of cholesterol, calcium and inflammatory cells in the artery wall (atheromatous plaques) form slowly over many years. They affect several areas at once: the heart (heart attack), the brain (stroke) and the legs (peripheral arterial disease). That is why someone with blocked leg arteries also has a high cardiovascular risk, and treatment aims to protect the whole body, not just the leg.
Risk factors
- Smoking: the most important factor for the leg arteries.
- Diabetes.
- High blood pressure.
- High cholesterol.
- Age, family history and chronic kidney disease.
In this section
Peripheral arterial diseasePain when walking, cold feet and wounds that do not heal.
AneurysmsDilatation of the aorta and other arteries.
Vascular malformationsCongenital abnormalities of the blood vessels.
Lymphatic diseaseLymphoedema: diagnosis and treatment.
Open and endovascular surgery
I treat arterial disease with conventional surgery (bypass, endarterectomy) as well as with endovascular techniques, performed through catheters via a needle puncture without large incisions: balloon angioplasty, stents and stent grafts. The choice depends on the location and extent of the lesion and on each patient’s situation.
Videos on this topic (in Spanish)
References
- Nordanstig J, Behrendt CA, Baumgartner I, et al. European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) 2024 Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Asymptomatic Lower Limb Peripheral Arterial Disease and Intermittent Claudication. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2024;67(1):9-96.
- Wanhainen A, Van Herzeele I, Bastos Goncalves F, et al. European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) 2024 Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Abdominal Aorto-Iliac Artery Aneurysms. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2024;67(2):192-331.
Patient information reviewed by Dr Óscar Merino, vascular surgeon. It does not replace an individual medical assessment.
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Weekly tips on circulation and vascular health (in Spanish).