Type of Surgery
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Last updated: 02/17/2009
People who have been diagnosed with PAD caused by atherosclerosis are at high risk of arterial blockage (occlusion) and are candidates for peripheral endarterectomy. Occlusive arterial disease is found in 15 to 20% of men and women older than age 70....
When found in people younger than 70, it occurs more often in men than in women, particularly in those who have ever smoked or who have diabetes. Women with PAD live longer than men with the same condition, which accounts for the equal incidence in older Americans. African-Americans have been shown to be at greater risk for arterial occlusion than other racial groups in the United States.
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A peripheral endarterectomy is the surgical removal of fatty deposits, called plaque, from the walls of arteries other than those of the heart and brain. The surgery is performed when plaque blocks an artery and obstructs the flow of blood and oxygen to other parts of the body, most commonly the legs but also the arms, kidneys, or intestines. The peripheral arteries most often treated with endarterectomy are those that supply the legs, especially the aortoiliac arteries in the pelvic area. Other arteries that may be treated with endarterectomy include the femoral arteries in the groin, the renal arteries that supply the kidneys, and the superior mesenteric arteries that supply the intestines.
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If you need heart surgery, you don't want a surgeon who only got a C in medical school. The same principle applies in helping people with mental illnesses.
-Ken Duckworth
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