Many specialists unite with one goal: preventing amputation. When podiatrists encounter patients that may lose a leg from peripheral arterial disease (PAD), vascular treatment is an urgent need. But, the question may arise: “Why doesn’t the vascular community seem to agree on how to best intervene?” … A July 2015 research paper compared the primary and secondary outcomes of angioplasty versus open vascular surgery.1 The research found both treatments equally effective in amputation prevention, improving the quality of life and life expectancy of patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), but that endovascular treatment offered additional benefits of lower cost, lower complication rates, and easier recoveries. The study also showed a lower 30-day mortality rate for angioplasty. The article summary stated, “Based on these results it is suggested that angioplasty should be considered as the first choice for feasible CLI patients.” … read more