Non-coronary Interventions: An Introduction to Peripheral Arterial Interventions.

With an ageing population, the burden of peripheral artery diseases (PADs) is increasing. The treatment of these diseases has largely been performed by interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons and interventional cardiologists. Due to the strong relationship between PAD and overall cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, cardiologists need to play a greater role in the management of PAD. The physician who cares for the patient with peripheral vascular disease should have a broad understanding of atherosclerotic disease involving all vascular beds. Endovascular interventions play a major role in relieving symptoms and reducing morbidity related to PAD, but long-term optimal medical treatment is an essential determinant of prognosis. This paper reviews current endovascular/percutaneous interventions for PAD.