Surgery Center Procedures
Peripheral Vascular Catheterization
A peripheral vascular catheterization (PVC), also known as a peripheral angiogram, is a specialized test done under X-ray, that shows the blood flow through the peripheral arteries. The peripheral arteries are responsible for supplying oxygenated blood to your arms and legs. During the procedure, your doctor makes a small incision in the wrist (radial artery) or groin (femoral artery) and advances a long thing tube, called a catheter, through the artery leading up into your peripheral artery in your leg. Your doctor then injects a special fluid called contrast media, or contrast dye, through the catheter into your artery’s blood stream.
The contrast dye allows the x-ray to show real time moving images of the blood flow through the peripheral arteries. The doctor uses these images to identify the precise location of any blockages in the arteries and the extent of plaque buildup. Based on the findings of this test, your doctor is able to determine if further treatment such as a peripheral angioplasty or peripheral stenting is needed to fix the lack of blood supply.
Peripheral Vascular Intervention
A peripheral vascular intervention (PVI), also known as a peripheral angioplasty, is a minimally invasive procedure that can improve blood flow to the pelvis or legs when a person has peripheral artery disease. Our doctor advances a catheter (a long narrow tube) with a tiny balloon on its tip up into the artery until it reaches the site that the plaque buildup is causing the blockage. A wire is then passed through the blocked area that allows the doctor to use the equipment necessary to fix the blockage.
The equipment can include balloons, stents or other more specialized devices depending on the nature and severity of the disease. These devices are then passed along the wire to the desired location. The balloon is inflated to compress the plaque against the artery wall, opening up the passageway and restoring blood flow. The balloon is then deflated and removed. In most cases, your doctor may determine that a stent needs to be inserted where the blockage was to keep the artery open after the balloon is removed.
