Professional Practice Guide -FCSV-EN

28 Professional Practice Guide 6. Treatments 6.1 INVASIVE TECHNIQUES Endovascular technique  This treatment is performed by interventional radiologists or specialized surgeons and uses fluoroscopy with intra-arterial injection of iodine contrast. Using this minimally invasive technology, arterial stenoses or occlusions can be treated with balloon catheters (angioplasty) and stents (endoprostheses). This technique offers the advantage of lower cardiovascular risk and shorter recovery time compared with open surgery.¹ Surgical technique  This treatment is performed by vascular surgeons. The technique chosen depends on the nature and location of the vascular lesion. It may involve endarterectomy (locally removing plaque from the artery) or bypass surgery (diverting blow flow around a diseased arterial segment using the patient’s saphenous vein or a synthetic graft).¹ Hybrid technique  This approach combines endovascular and surgical techniques.¹ There are three main indications for invasive treatment of PAD: intermittent claudication, critical ischemia, and acute ischemia. ↗ There are three invasive techniques available for the treatment of PAD. The selected strategy depends on the patient’s clinical presentation, the viability of the affected limb, the anatomy of the vascular lesion anatomy, and the patient’s overall risk profile. Ӌ Balloon angioplasty Ӌ Endoprosthesis