Severe Leg Pain By Cleaning Out Arteries (NAPSA)—Manypeople dismiss leg and foot pain as a normal sign of aging. Cramping, aching or burning pain in the legs is often misdiagnosed as arthritis or peripheral neuropathy, a condition that most often affects people with diabetes. However, severe leg pain could also be a symptom of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), which affects more than 12 million people in the United States. Similar to coronary artery disease, PAD is caused by the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque. Plaque blocks blood flow by building up inside arteries over time, robbing the legs and feet of oxygen-rich blood. If left untreated, PAD can lead to toe, foot or leg amputations because tissue in the lower extremities has died dueto lack of blood. In fact, over 150,000 amputations are performed each year from severe PAD. Often, leg pain can be so extreme that patients have difficulty in walking short distances. It can limit mobility, seriously lowering your quality of life and putting you at risk for other health problems. Cramping leg pain is just one symptom of PAD. Other symptoms mayinclude: Leg fatigue e A dull, aching pain in the hips, thighs or calf muscles during exercise or at rest Changes in skin color and temperature * Infections or sores that do not heal * Burning or tingling in the feet or toes. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should ask your doctor about testing for PAD. Screening for the disease may include a simple, painless test to find out if you are at risk. Several conditions may put a patient at higherrisk for having PAD. These include: High blood pressure * Diabetes High cholesterol Ahistory of heart disease Obesity Smoking * Inactivelifestyle. If you have been diagnosed with PAD, you should know about a minimally invasive treatment to remove plaque in the legs. Hospitals across the country are offering the SilverHawk™ Plaque Excision procedure to help eliminate severe leg pain and avoid amputa- The SilverHawk™ removes plaque from blocked arteries in the leg. tion. The SilverHawk cleans out plaque from arteries much like clearing a clogged pipe. Before the arrival of plaque excision, treatments for PAD included balloon angioplasty, stents and open bypass surgery, an invasive procedure that requires creating a large incision in the leg and often involves a long hospital stay. Florida resident Nick Booker recently had the SilverHawk procedure performed on his left leg after a previous bypass surgery had failed. “For months, I could barely walk because my leg hurt so badly,” said Booker. “I had bypass surgery and was in the hospital for several days. The bypass failed so I had the SilverHawk done and was back to work the next day. I feel great,” he added. Unlike angioplasty and stenting, which push the plaque against artery walls, the SilverHawk System uses a tiny rotating blade the size of a grain of rice to shave away large quantities of plaque. The plaqueis collected in the tip of the device and removed from the patient altogether. “Some of my patients cannot walk to their mailbox withoutfeeling severe crampingin their legs,” commented Dr. Christopher Bosarge of Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Fla. “After treating them with the SilverHawk, I’ve seen patients resume normal activities and get back to an active lifestyle.” If you have any of the risk factors for PAD, ask your doctor about screening and diagnosing the disease, even if you are not currently experiencing symptoms. For more information about SilverHawk Plaque Excision or to find a physician in your area that is performing this procedure, visit www.foxhollowtech.com or call (866) 456-8838.
