Frequently Asked Questions

I have peripheral arterial disease (PAD). I have had two leg artery bypasses. Do support hose help circulation in patients with PAD? Also, after an aorta-to-femoral bypass and a femoral-to-femoral bypass, can one ever have a less invasive procedure such as balloon angioplasty or stenting to widen the narrowing of the iliacs or other arteries?
To answer your first question, support hose are used for venous circulation, not for arteries. PAD is a disease of the arteries. So, unless you also have venous disease, you would not need to wear support stockings. To answer your second question, the aorta-to-femoral bypasses replaced your iliac arteries. Your problem could be from inadequate blood reaching the pelvis via the remaining normal arteries, or it could be from blockage involving the bypass. This can be easily diagnosed in most cases. Depending on the findings of the diagnostic testing, some of these blockages may respond to angioplasty or stenting. Consult your vascular specialist.

For six months, I've had problems (swelling, redness, warmth, "alligator skin," blisters and sores, and purplish-red spots) with my legs that were diagnosed as cellulitis. Could this "cellulitis" be a misdiagnosis of a vascular problem?
Cellulitis often occurs in patients with vascular disease, and it tends to be much worse. In addition, patients with cellulitis often have high fever, chills and nausea, and the leg is generally quite red in appearance. Lack of blood flow makes the skin less able to repair itself after even mild injury and is more prone to infection (cellulitis). Check with your doctor to arrange simple tests that can be done to see if inadequate blood flow is contributing to the problem.