Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) vs Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD): What’s the Difference?

We have often heard these two terms being used interchangeably by patients as well as doctors. Even though these words sound similar, let us understand the differences between these 2 terms:

What is Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)?

Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) is a larger term that describes many vascular or circulation problems and conditions. These diseases can affect arteries (which bring blood from heart to periphery), veins (bringing impure blood from peripheries to the heart), or lymphatics.

What is Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)?

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is the term used to describe the specific disease affecting arteries, most commonly the leg arteries.

What causes Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)?

PAD can occur due to the following causes, from which the commonest is atherosclerosis.

• Atherosclerosis
• Thrombosis
• Embolism
• Vasculits
• Buerger’s disease

What is atherosclerotic plaque?

The accumulation of a fatty sticky substance to the inner surfaces of arteries along with deposition of calcium is called as a plaque. This condition, medically called as atherosclerosis also leads to hardening of the arteries.

Beyond 50 %, these plaques can result in narrowing and reduced blood circulation to the organ in which it supplies blood. The common sites of such plaques or artery blockages includes the abdomen, groin, thigh & legs. Initially the symptoms may be only pain on walking, which some would mistakenly attribute to aging. On occasions, the plaque may gradually increase and cause total blockage of lumen and result in advanced symptoms of critical limb ischemia.

At times, a plaque may rupture and develop sudden thrombosis or blood clotting. This sudden blockage usually presents with a rapid onset of symptoms including severe pain in legs, with coldness of feet along with color changes. If unrecognised, it may worsen and lead to reduced foot movements and leg gangrene.

Also Read: 5 Things To Know About Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

What is Thrombosis?

Thrombosis is the medical terminology used to denote development of blood clot. Arterial thrombosis occurs when there is sudden clotting within an already narrowed artery. Here the onset of symptoms is rapid and timely evaluation with treatment by a vascular surgeon would be required.

What is Embolism?

Embolism is when a thrombus or clot dislodges from either the heart or any larger artery and gets stuck in a smaller artery. This causes sudden interruption of blood flow and starves the body tissues of blood and oxygen. Here the symptoms and deterioration can occur within a few hours, so it needs to be attended as an emergency or can end up with limb or life threatening complications.

What is vasculitis?

There a few autoimmune inflammatory disorders in which there is inflammation or swelling and thickening of the arterial walls, ultimately leading to narrowing and reduction of blood flow. These conditions are relatively rare, but can affect many different organs. Some of the names are Takayasu’s arteritis, Giant cell arteritis, Behcet’s disease or Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN). Most of these conditions need long term medications including steroids to control the inflammation and prevent flare-ups.

What is Buerger’s disease?

Buerger’s disease (also known as Thromboangitis Obliterans) is another inflammatory vascular disease that affects smaller blood vessels in body, especially below the knee and the arms. It is commonly attributed to smoking or tobacco use and is relatively common in India. In this, most of the vascular surgical or interventional procedures are not very effective. Hence, best medical management and the cessation of smoking/ tobacco is essential to control this disease.

Also Read: How is Critical Limb Ischemia treated?

What is the treatment for PAD?

Which doctor should I consult for PAD?

The most important factor to choose an experienced Vascular & Endovascular Surgeon is the ability to give a balanced option from the multiple options available to treat a particular condition.

Think Vascular Think Aadicura

At Aadicura, our department is proud to offer world class standard of care to patients with an excellent backup of full time allied superspecialities and a caring team who believes in putting patients first. We are fortunate to have an entire gamut of high-tech equipment and facilities like Non-invasive vascular Lab, Doppler, Laser, Modular Operation Theatres, Hybrid Cath Lab and Intra Vascular Ultrasound (IVUS).

The Department of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery at Aadicura is one of the first of its kind group practice in Western India, where we bring a collective experience of more than 50 years and having treated more than 50,000 patients. We also believe Aadicura to be a destination for providing complete vascular & endovascular solutions.

At Aadicura, our department is proud to offer a world class standard of care to patients with an excellent backup of full time allied superspecialities and a caring team who believes in putting patients first. We are fortunate to have an entire gamut of high-tech equipment and facilities like Non-invasive vascular Lab, Doppler, Laser, Modular Operation Theatres, Hybrid Cath Lab and IntraVascular Ultrasound (IVUS).