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Guidelines for sites linking to mayoclinic.orgIntro: Two out of 10. Those are your chances of developing a painful and often debilitating condition called peripheral vascular disease, or PVD, when you're over 65. Four out of 10 if you have heart disease. And the risk gets even higher if you're a diabetic. What is PVD? It's a decrease in blood flow to your legs caused by blockages in the arteries. Doctors at Mayo Clinic are using a new, minimally invasive procedure to open those blockages, keeping people out of the hospital and enjoying life.
| Video | Audio |
Total running time 1:34 |
IT'S THE SOUND OF THE SAW ... THE SMELL OF SAWDUST THAT CALLS DAVID MURPHY TO THE SHOP. |
David Murphy Has PVD |
"IT'S BEEN A HOBBY SINCE HIGH SCHOOL." |
(turning off machine) |
BUT BEFORE DAVID HAD A NEW PROCEDURE TO OPEN BLOCKAGES IN HIS LEG ARTERIES, HE'D HAVE TO SHUT THE MACHINES DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A PROJECT UNTIL THE PAIN PASSED. |
David Murphy |
"CRAMPS. CRAMPS IN MY LEGS, THE CALVES. AND IT WOULD HURT." |
David climbing stairs |
SO MUCH THAT WHEN HE CLIMBED STAIRS TO GRAB A TOOL ... |
| David Murphy | "I HAD TO STOP AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE GOING UP THE STAIRS." |
Animation To David walking Standup Vivien Williams Reporting |
THAT'S BECAUSE PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE, OR PVD, CAUSED BLOCKAGES, MADE MOSTLY OF CHOLESTEROL, TO DECREASE BLOOD FLOW TO HIS LEGS. THE RESULT WAS PAIN NOT WHILE AT REST, BUT WHEN DAVID MOVED. WHEN HIS MUSCLES NEEDED INCREASED OXYGEN. EVEN SIMPLE ACTIVITIES LIKE WALKING TO GET THE MAIL HURT. |
VO: Albert Hakaim, M.D. in surgery |
DAVID DIDN'T WANT STANDARD SURGERY, WHICH INVOLVES BYPASSING THE BLOCKAGE WITH A REAL OR SYNTHETIC VEIN, AND IT REQUIRES A FOUR TO FIVE DAY HOSPITAL STAY. INSTEAD, HE OPTED FOR A NEW, MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURE. |
Albert Hakaim, M.D. Mayo Clinic Vascular Surgeon |
"IT'S A DEVICE THAT CUTS THE PLAQUE AWAY FROM THE LINING OF THE ARTERY." |
Animation |
FIRST DR. ALBERT HAKAIM GUIDES THE DEVICE TO THE BLOCKAGE VIA A CATHETER. THE TINY BLADE SHAVES AWAY PLAQUE, RESTORING BLOOD FLOW TO THE LOWER LEG. NO INCISIONS, NO LONG RECOVERY TIME, AND ... |
David Murphy |
"NO PAIN WHATSOEVER. I THINK THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I GOT HOME WAS WALK THE DOG." |
| A SIMPLE PLEASURE DAVID HADN'T DONE SINCE HE AND HIS WIFE DOROTHY ADOPTED OLD HARLEY A COUPLE YEARS AGO. | |
| FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS. |
Tag: The technology, called Silver Hawk, has been in use for two years. Dr. Hakaim says the procedure produces similar results to standard bypass surgery. In addition to these techniques, doctors also use stents to open blocked leg arteries. For more information on peripheral vascular disease, log onto our Web site at ...
STATIONS: Per the licensing agreement, please provide a link from your station's Web site to www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge or voice tag "mayoclinic.org/medical-edge" for more information.
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