Lower Limb Angioplasty

Lower limb angioplasty is crucial to heal the non-healing diabetic leg wounds. 

Diabetic patients can develop non healing wounds or blackish discolouration of the toes or feet due to poor blood flow to the tissues as a result of narrowing or blockages in the blood vessels supplying the legs. This is due to gradual build-up of plaques inside the blood vessel over time. Patient may experience severe pain or develop infection in the unhealthy tissues.

Patients are often treated with medicines and trimming of the unhealthy tissues without improving the blood flow to the legs. Improving the blood flow is crucial for the wounds to heal along with medicines and wound management. Sometimes, the patients end up losing the leg as the wound or gangrene spreads. This can be devastating for the patient as their mobility is restricted or become dependent.

Angioplasty of the lower limb arteries can help restore the blood flow to the foot and help the healing process and prevent loss of the leg. In diabetic patients, the blockages are usually in the fine blood vessels in their calves which are challenging to treat. Angioplasty of these vessels needs to be done by an experienced endovascular specialist. Angioplasty with special drug coated balloons is proven to keep the treated arteries open much longer than normal balloons. Sometimes stents need to be placed to treat the tough blockages not responding to angioplasty alone.