Peripheral Arterial Disease

Comprehensive Medical & Endovascular Care to Restore Circulation and Relieve Leg Pain

If you’re experiencing leg pain when walking, numbness, coldness in your feet, or wounds that won’t heal, you may be living with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) — a common but often underdiagnosed condition caused by narrowed or blocked arteries in the legs. At Pain & Vascular Institute, we offer comprehensive, in-house diagnostic testing and a full range of medical and minimally invasive endovascular treatments to restore blood flow, relieve pain, and protect your mobility and long-term health.

Understanding Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

Peripheral arterial disease, also known as peripheral artery disease or PAD, occurs when fatty plaque builds up inside the arteries that carry blood to your legs and feet, a process called atherosclerosis. As these arteries narrow, less oxygen-rich blood reaches your legs, leading to pain, cramping, and, in severe cases, non-healing wounds or tissue loss.

PAD is also a powerful warning sign for the rest of your cardiovascular system. Because atherosclerosis rarely affects just one part of the body, people with PAD face a significantly higher risk of heart attack and stroke — making early diagnosis and treatment critical.

How Common Is PAD?

Peripheral arterial disease is far more common than most people realize:

8.5 Million+  Americans are living with PAD

1 in 20  adults over age 50 are affected

30%  of PAD cases may go undiagnosed

1 in 5  adults over age 70 have PAD

Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a family history of vascular disease all increase your risk of developing peripheral artery disease.

Common Symptoms of PAD

• Leg pain, cramping, or fatigue while walking that improves with rest (a symptom known as claudication)
• Numbness, weakness, or heaviness in the legs
• Coldness in the lower leg or foot compared to the other side
• Sores or wounds on the toes, feet, or legs that heal slowly or won’t heal
• Shiny skin or hair loss on the legs and feet
• Weak or absent pulses in the legs or feet

Many people with PAD have mild symptoms or none at all, which is why screening is so important — especially for those with risk factors like smoking or diabetes. Left untreated, PAD can progress to critical limb ischemia, a severe form of the disease that carries a high risk of amputation.

Comprehensive In-House Diagnostic Testing

Getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step toward effective PAD treatment. That’s why Pain & Vascular Institute offers a full diagnostic vascular ultrasound lab and ankle-brachial index (ABI) testing on-site — so you can get answers and start treatment without unnecessary delays or referrals to outside facilities.

Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) Testing

The ABI test is a quick, painless, non-invasive test that compares blood pressure in your ankle to blood pressure in your arm. A lower reading in the ankle can indicate narrowed or blocked arteries in the legs, helping our team diagnose PAD and determine its severity in a single office visit.

Vascular Ultrasound

Our in-house vascular ultrasound lab uses duplex ultrasound imaging to visualize blood flow through the arteries in your legs in real time. This detailed, non-invasive imaging allows our team to pinpoint the exact location and severity of any blockages, guiding a personalized treatment plan.

Full Medical and Endovascular Management for PAD

Pain & Vascular Institute offers complete, comprehensive PAD management — from lifestyle counseling and medication management to advanced, minimally invasive endovascular procedures — all under one roof.

Medical Management

• Risk factor modification, including smoking cessation support
• Supervised exercise therapy to improve walking distance and circulation
• Medications to manage cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood clotting
• Ongoing monitoring to track disease progression over time

Endovascular Treatment

For patients who need more than medical management alone, our team offers advanced endovascular procedures to open blocked or narrowed arteries and restore blood flow — without the need for open surgery. Most of these minimally invasive, catheter-based treatments, including angioplasty, stenting, and atherectomy, are performed on an outpatient basis in our state-of-the-art, office-based vascular lab, through a tiny access point typically in the foot or groin.

Advanced Limb Salvage & Complex Endovascular Expertise

For patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease or critical limb ischemia (CLI), routine treatment options are often not enough. Pain & Vascular Institute is home to Dr. Sameer Ahmed, a nationally renowned expert in complex endovascular limb salvage, offering advanced techniques not widely available at other centers.

Tibial and Pedal Interventions

When blockages extend below the knee into the tibial arteries or into the small vessels of the foot, treatment requires a high level of technical skill and precision. Our team specializes in below-the-knee (tibial) and pedal interventions, using advanced catheter-based techniques to restore blood flow to the foot in patients with severe or complex disease.

Pedal Arch Reconstruction

Pedal arch reconstruction is a highly specialized endovascular technique used to rebuild blood flow through the network of small arteries in the foot. This procedure can be critical for wound healing and limb preservation in patients with critical limb ischemia, and is only performed by a small number of interventionalists nationwide.

Patients facing the possibility of amputation are encouraged to seek a second opinion. Many patients referred to Pain & Vascular Institute for limb salvage evaluation are able to avoid amputation through advanced, minimally invasive endovascular treatment.

Endovascular Treatment vs. Traditional Bypass Surgery: How They Compare

Endovascular treatment is not right for every patient, but for many, it offers an effective alternative to open bypass surgery for restoring blood flow to the legs:

Benefits of Choosing Pain & Vascular Institute for PAD Care

Comprehensive Care Under One Roof. From diagnosis to treatment, our in-house vascular lab and endovascular suite mean fewer appointments and faster answers.

Minimally Invasive Treatment. Most endovascular procedures require only a tiny access point, with no large incisions.

Same-Day Diagnostics. ABI testing and vascular ultrasound results are typically available the same day as your visit.

Personalized Treatment Plans. Every patient receives a care plan tailored to their specific pattern of disease and overall health.

Advanced, Image-Guided Technology. Real-time imaging allows for highly targeted, precise treatment of blocked or narrowed arteries.

Ongoing Cardiovascular Risk Management. Because PAD is linked to heart attack and stroke risk, our team helps manage your overall vascular health, not just your legs.

State-of-the-Art Office-Based Lab. Most procedures are performed right in our outpatient vascular office-based lab, avoiding the added cost, wait times, and hassle of a hospital visit.

What to Expect

Your Diagnostic Visit

• Comprehensive medical history and physical exam, including a check of your leg pulses
• On-site ankle-brachial index (ABI) testing to screen for and confirm PAD
• Vascular ultrasound imaging if further evaluation is needed
• A personalized treatment plan discussed the same day

If Endovascular Treatment Is Recommended

• A tiny access point is created in the foot or groin — no large incision
• A catheter is guided to the blocked or narrowed artery using real-time imaging
• The blockage is treated with angioplasty, stenting, or atherectomy, as appropriate
• Most procedures take about 30–90 minutes and are performed in our outpatient office-based vascular lab, with moderate sedation provided by a board-certified anesthesiologist for every case
• You go home the same day in most cases

Could You Have PAD?

Consider getting screened for peripheral arterial disease if you:

• Experience leg pain, cramping, or fatigue when walking that improves with rest
• Have noticed numbness, coldness, or color changes in your legs or feet
• Have a wound or sore on your foot or leg that isn’t healing
• Smoke or have a history of smoking
• Have diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol
• Are over age 50 with a family history of vascular disease

2Why Choose Us?

Pain & Vascular Institute is led by Dr. Sameer Ahmed, a nationally renowned expert in the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial disease, with a distinguished reputation for performing complex endovascular procedures for limb salvage — including advanced tibial and pedal interventions and pedal arch reconstruction. Patients travel from across the country for this level of expertise, especially those facing critical limb ischemia or the threat of amputation. We are committed to:

• Offering complete, in-house diagnostic testing, including ABI testing and vascular ultrasound
• Providing personalized medical and endovascular treatment plans based on each patient’s unique condition and goals
• Utilizing cutting-edge, minimally invasive techniques to restore blood flow and relieve pain
• Helping patients protect their mobility, their limbs, and their long-term cardiovascular health
• Offering advanced limb salvage expertise, including complex below-the-knee (tibial) and pedal interventions for patients other providers may have deemed inoperable