Practical Guide about PAD

15 ↪ Practical Guide about Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) ↳ Figure 7 : Surgical treatments 6.3. Surgical Therapy Surgical therapy is divided into 3 types of intervention: i. Endovascular therapy This therapy is performed by physicians specialized in radiology and consists of unblocking arteries using balloons and a metal stent. This technique is similar to the technique used in patients who have a heart attack. For example, arteriography consists of visualizing the body’s arteries using an X-ray camera (fluoroscopy) and direct injection of iodine into the arteries. ii. Open-heart therapy This therapy is performed by surgeons specialized in vascular surgery and consists of creating a bypass, i.e., creating an alternative blood flow route. The bypass is made using either the patient’s own vein , taken from the thigh, or a synthetic prosthesis. iii. Hybrid therapy This treatment consists of com- bining endovascular and open-heart therapies.