Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a condition in which blood circulation is impaired as the arteries in the legs narrow or become blocked due to atherosclerosis or other factors. The primary cause is atherosclerosis (cholesterol plaque), and risk factors include smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. In the early stages, symptoms include leg pain when walking; as the condition worsens, pain persists even at rest; and in the late stages, progression to inflammation, ulcers, and necrosis can lead to a risk of leg amputation.

In the early stages, 'claudication' occurs, characterized by bursting pain in the calves or thighs whenever walking, which improves with rest. As vascular stenosis progresses further, the toes may feel severely numb or stabbing even when at rest, and small wounds on the feet fail to heal and develop into ulcers.

Varicose veins are a condition in which the venous valves carrying blood 'up' to the heart malfunction, causing blood to flow backward and blood vessels to bulge. On the other hand, leg artery occlusion is a much more fatal and dangerous disease in which clear blood pumped from the heart and 'down' is blocked, causing the toes to suffer from malnutrition and eventually rot away.

The primary cause is the blockage of the tiny peripheral arteries leading to the toes as diabetes causes the blood to become thick. When this is compounded by peripheral nerve complications that dull sensation in the feet, patients often do not feel pain even when wounds or blisters form, allowing the condition to worsen significantly.

If the tissue at the wound site has completely turned black and necrotized and the infection has progressed to the bone, amputation may be unavoidable to save the life. However, if the blocked blood vessels are found and opened during the 'golden time' before the tissue completely rots away, the precious leg can be sufficiently preserved without amputation.

The top priority is to wash your feet every night and carefully check for any wounds, calluses, or changes in skin color. If a small wound on your foot does not heal after one to two weeks, you should visit the Mint Hospital Vascular Center immediately without delay to receive treatment for improving blood flow to your legs. If you have diabetes, undergoing regular checkups every six months to a year is also helpful for early management.

Vascular revascularization is a minimally invasive treatment that opens blocked or narrowed arteries using a catheter without skin incision. It utilizes a balloon catheter (which expands the narrowed area) or a stent (a metal mesh support). Because recovery is faster than surgical procedures and the risk of complications is lower, it is used as a primary treatment for early diabetic foot, peripheral artery occlusion, and Buerger's disease.

No. In the case of severe trauma patients where the infection has already spread to systemic infections such as sepsis or where tissue has severely necrotic due to abnormalities in the metatarsal bones, surgical amputation is unavoidable. Therefore, you must visit the hospital at the stage just before the wound begins to rot and does not heal with medication to save your leg through a retraction procedure.

This is because toxic and harmful substances in cigarettes, such as nicotine, cause direct inflammation in the peripheral blood vessels at the fingertips and toes and severely constrict the vessels. Due to this inflammation, the blood vessels narrow and become completely blocked by blood clots, eventually leading to the terrible result of the toes or fingertips turning black and rotting away.

Opening narrowed blood vessels is highly effective in reducing severe pain and preventing the spread of necrosis, thereby preserving the leg. However, this is merely a treatment to improve blood flow, and the only and most powerful prerequisite for a complete cure of Buerger's disease is the patient's 'absolute smoking cessation.'

Diabetes and kidney disease continuously attack the inner walls of blood vessels, induce inflammation, and accelerate 'calcification,' the process in which blood vessels harden like stone. As debris and calcium adhere to the walls of blood vessels, which should be soft, causing them to lose elasticity and narrow, they become highly vulnerable to peripheral artery occlusion.

It is most suitable for cases of claudication severe enough to make walking difficult, when medication alone has its limitations, but before progressing to major surgical amputation due to gangrene. The procedure must be performed at this stage, when blood vessels are sending distress signals, to fully restore normal blood flow.

That is correct. Even if the blood vessels have been successfully opened, if underlying conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or smoking remain, plaque can accumulate and block the vessels again (restenosis) at any time. Therefore, you must not let your guard down just because you have recovered, but must consistently monitor your blood flow status through blood sugar and blood pressure management and regular ultrasound examinations.

You must quit smoking without fail and strictly control your blood sugar and blood pressure by consistently taking prescribed medication. In addition, it is important to develop the habit of keeping your feet warm and dry at all times, and wearing cushioned, loose-fitting shoes to provide strong protection against injuries.

At the Mint Hospital Vascular Center (opened in 2008), located in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, a comprehensive range of services is available in one place, from diagnosis via ABI, Doppler ultrasound, and angiography to minimally invasive revascularization, stent treatment, and specialized diabetic foot care. Chief Director Bae Jae-ik (Specialist in Interventional Radiology, MD, Ph.D.), with 25 years of experience, is in charge of endovascular treatment for diabetic foot.
10-minute walk from Munjeong Station (Line 8), 15-minute walk from Garak Market Station (Line 3) ☎ 02-2088-3000