Iliac occlusive disease is a form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), an increasingly common condition affecting as many as 8 to 12 million people per year in the U. S. alone, mostly over the age of 50. The most frequent symptom of PAD is claudication, or sharp, cramp-like leg pains brought on by walking or exercising that are caused by blocked arteries impeding circulation to the legs. As the overall age of the American population increases, so does the importance of finding the most effective possible treatment.
New York (PRWEB) November 16, 2006 -- Iliac occlusive disease is a form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), an increasingly common condition affecting as many as 8 to 12 million people per year in the U. S. alone, mostly over the age of 50. The most frequent symptom of PAD is claudication, or sharp, cramp-like leg pains brought on by walking or exercising that are caused by blocked arteries impeding circulation to the legs. As the overall age of the American population increases, so does the importance of finding the most effective possible treatment.
Today at the 33rd annual VEITHsymposium™, Dr. Peter G. Kalman, Professor of Surgery and Radiology at Loyola University and Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center (Maywood, IL), compared the various options for treating iliac occlusive disease, concluding that although open surgery has better proven durability than endovascular therapy, the gap between the two is quickly narrowing
Dr. Kalman noted that open surgery has been the gold standard for iliac occlusive disease until the last decade. Since then, there has been a paradigm shift toward endovascular techniques such as angioplasty. This shift has resulted from the development of vastly improved catheter and stent technology and the widespread use endovascular approaches throughout medicine.
Dr. Kalman went on to discuss the standards set by the first Transatlantic Intersociety Consensus in 1999 (TASC 1), which recommended endovascular rather than surgical procedures whenever suitable for a particular lesion. Kalman noted that "Initially, only focal lesions less than 3 cm in length (TASC type A) were considered appropriate for
angioplasty, but this philosophy has gradually changed to include more diffuse disease, including both stenoses and occlusions." The larger TASC type B and type C lesions are now increasingly being treated with the endovascular approach.
Promising recent report from the Cleveland Clinic: Kalman said 92 endovascular procedures were performed on TASC Type C and D occlusions with 91% technical success. "These results challenge the past limits for inclusion of more diffuse iliac occlusive disease. There is no doubt that the capabilities and limits have not been realized, and will continue to evolve in the future," concluded Kalman.
About VEITHsymposium™
Now entering its fourth decade, VEITHsymposium™ provides vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, interventional cardiologists and other vascular specialists with a unique and exciting format to learn the most current information about what is new and important in the treatment of vascular disease. The 5-day event features 300 rapid-fire presentations from the world's most renowned vascular specialists with emphasis on the latest advances, changing concepts in diagnosis and management, pressing controversies and new techniques.
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