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Reflection on the Endovascular Era for Amputation Prevention
An exciting development in interventional medicine is that of endovascular limb salvage. We are fortunate in this issue of Cardiology Today’s Intervention to have several experts providing their perspectives on this growing field in CV medicine.
The technology for endovascular limb salvage has really leapfrogged in the past few years, as has operator experience. The potential impact that an operator can have in critical limb ischemia is enormous. Successful procedures can be as gratifying as primary PCI for acute STEMI. In fact, sometimes patients are even more grateful when they realize that their foot will not need to be amputated. From a patient’s perspective, few medical events are as devastating as an amputation.
Improvements in devices that are specifically designed for peripheral intervention and newer approaches such as pedal access have revolutionized the ability to save limbs. Beyond the technical advances, a greater appreciation of peripheral artery disease and the associated risks for MI and stroke has led to greater awareness of peripheral artery disease as a risk factor for ischemic events in other arterial beds. Complementary medical and lifestyle approaches to reduce these associated risks have also become an important part of the care of these patients, which is often managed by the endovascular specialist.
This November/December cover story is part of Cardiology Today’s Intervention’s goal of educating clinicians on all varieties of percutaneous interventions. We welcome your comments by emailing the editors at cardiology@healio.com.
– Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Editor
Cardiology Today’s Intervention