Why interventional cardiologists may be the most suitable specialists for the endovascular management of peripheral artery disease.

Peripheral artery disease has a major morbidity and mortality burden worldwide, and its impact is going to increase even further given the obesity and diabetes pandemic. Whereas medical therapy and open surgical therapy (e.g. bypass, endarterectomy, and aneurysmectomy) remain mainstays in the management of peripheral artery disease, endovascular (i.e. percutaneous or transcatheter) therapy is gaining ever increasing success among patients and physicians alike. However, endovascular interventions can be performed by cardiologists, radiologists, vascular surgeons and, possibly, others as well. Are all these specialists similarly likely to perform endovascular procedures in a safe and effective fashion? Can we identify a subset of specialists ideally equipped to perform endovascular interventions in the best manner? We indeed make the case in this article for the possible superiority of interventional cardiologists, for their background, training and clinical experience, in performing endovascular procedures.