Meet the Experts

Dr. Alex Powell

Interventional Radiologist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute

Videos

Diagnosing P.A.D.

To diagnose P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease) the doctor will try to feel the pulse on the leg and the area where the artery may be superficial to try to feel the blood supply there. Alex Powell, Interventional Radiologist at Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, explains when you have narrowing at some point that pulses it at first becomes diminished and then ultimately you can't feel it at all.

Consequences Of P.A.D.

Amputation and early death can be some of the consequences of having P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease), which can be a symptom of coronary artery disease and a high risk for a heart attack or stroke. Alex Powell, Interventional Radiologist at Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, explains that if you are undergoing an amputation within five years, there is a 50% chance of you dying. That rate of death is higher than if you have breast cancer, colon cancer or prostate cancer.

Treating P.A.D And Plan B

Alex Powell, Interventional Radiologist at Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, explains the treatment for P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease) is not a particularly uncomfortable procedure for a patient to undergo. Constantino Pena, Interventional Radiologist at Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, says they have a very high success rate on the therapy, but if it does not work at first, he recommends trying again or trying other options, such doing a surgical type of bypass procedure to give blood supply to that area.

Stages Of P.A.D.

P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease) has some stages. One of them is asymptomatic, which even though it has no symptoms, the presence of P.A.D indicates higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke. In the symptomatic stage the pain appears when walking and it is important to distinguish from other causes of leg pain. Alex Powell, Interventional Radiologist at Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, explains patients suffer from pain when trying to walk faster or walking upstairs.

Risk Factors Of P.A.D.

P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease) is caused by many factors. Some of them are diabetes, smoking history, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and known atherosclerosis in another vascular bed. Age is a key factor, being 50-65 with at least one risk factor for atherosclerosis or being younger than 50 years old but having diabetes can be dangerous for your health. Alex Powell, Interventional Radiologist at Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, says risk factors need to be treated aggressively.

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