Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) involves atherosclerosis mainly in the extremities, especially in the legs and feet that lead to ischemia. Untreated, PAD can progress to critical limb ischemia (CLI), also called chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), which will lead to foot or leg amputation. The mortality rate for these CLI amputees is 70% within three years. There is currently an epidemic of PAD and CLI in the U.S. The majority of patients are defined by health disparities concentrated in the Black, Latino, Native American populations in both rural and low-income urban areas. A large number of PAD patients have other comorbities, with diabetes being one a primary issue.

Getting vascular surgeons more involved leads to key improvements for PAD patients
Vascular surgeons perform procedures interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists do not do—so why not make sure they are part of every heart team conversation?
SCAI celebrates new federal funding for PAD prevention
The group's hope is that these new funds will help address the rising rates of PAD and CLTI throughout the United States.
Excessive alcohol use increases risk of amputation in CLTI patients
Identifying patients with alcohol use disorder prior to treatment may help care teams plan ahead and anticipate potential complications.
PAD patients could be missing out on recommended care following major lower extremity amputations
Patients undergoing the procedures due to infection, chronic limb-threatening ischemia and other serious complications may not be receiving the follow-up care their need.
Cardiologists urge Congress to pass new bills focused on PAD, Medicare coverage
SCAI has shared a new call to action as an observance of American Heart Month. The group is asking Congress to pass new pieces of legislation that could improve care for PAD patients and get important medical devices in the hands of interventional cardiologists.

William P. Shutze, MD, FACS, secretary of the Society of Vascular Surgery (SVS), a vascular surgeon with Texas Vascular Associates in Plano, Texas, and a clinical associate professor of medicine at Texas A&M College of Medicine, explained the role of vascular surgeons in peripheral artery disease (PAD) and critical limb ischemia (CLI).

Getting vascular surgeons more involved leads to key improvements for PAD patients

Vascular surgeons perform procedures interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists do not do—so why not make sure they are part of every heart team conversation?

SCAI celebrates new federal funding for PAD prevention

The group's hope is that these new funds will help address the rising rates of PAD and CLTI throughout the United States.

Excessive alcohol use increases risk of amputation in CLTI patients

Identifying patients with alcohol use disorder prior to treatment may help care teams plan ahead and anticipate potential complications.

PAD patients could be missing out on recommended care following major lower extremity amputations

Patients undergoing the procedures due to infection, chronic limb-threatening ischemia and other serious complications may not be receiving the follow-up care their need.

Cardiologists urge Congress to pass new bills focused on PAD, Medicare coverage

SCAI has shared a new call to action as an observance of American Heart Month. The group is asking Congress to pass new pieces of legislation that could improve care for PAD patients and get important medical devices in the hands of interventional cardiologists.

New meta-analysis explores potential of endovascular treatments for long femoropopliteal lesions

Open surgical bypass is the gold standard, but endovascular therapies may provide value for high-risk patients with long femoropopliteal lesions.

Advances in calcified coronary plaque modification are increasingly centered on intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) because the technology reduces complications such as vessel trauma and perforation associated with traditional high-pressure balloons or atherectomy techniques. Cardiovascular Business spoke with Samin K. Sharma, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital Cardiovascular Clinical Institute, recently about the advances in IVL. #IVL #TCT

Exploring major trends as IVL keeps evolving

Intravascular lithotripsy is expected to see even wider adoption when lower-profile catheters are introduced and device costs start to drop, explained Samin Sharma, MD.

The Boston Scientific Seismiq intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) system entered commercial use in the U.S. in January 2026.

IVL competition heats up as Boston Scientific enters US market

Shockwave Medical, now a part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, sits at the top of the IVL market, but things are starting to get more competitive. Boston Scientific gained its own IVL system when it acquired Bolt Medical in 2025.