Vascular Medicine & Surgery

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) affects nearly 10 million people in the United States. It occurs when the arteries carrying blood to the legs and arms become narrow or clogged. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the most common type of PVD, and the most common symptom is painful cramping in hips, thighs or calves when walking, climbing stairs or exercising.

Research has shown that nearly 75 percent of people with PAD do not experience symptoms. Women are less likely to have symptoms than men. This can be dangerous because PAD can lead to painful symptoms, loss of a leg and/or increased risk of coronary artery disease and carotid atherosclerosis. Because individuals with PAD have this increased risk for heart attack and stroke, the American Heart Association encourages anyone who is at risk to

Most patients referred to Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute with PVD will undergo non-invasive studies as part of the evaluation. The Heineman Vascular Center provides patients with fully integrated services for vascular diagnosis. This includes an outpatient ambulatory vascular care center, and our non-invasive vascular laboratory.Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute offers the Charlotte region’s only integrated team of vascular specialists. Our team approach translates to better outcomes for our patients.