What is peripheral artery disease (PAD)?

PAD is a circulatory condition where narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs. It is most commonly caused by atherosclerosis — the buildup of plaque in the artery walls. PAD most often affects the legs.

What are the risk factors for developing PAD?

Risk factors include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, age over 50, and a family history of heart disease or PAD. Smoking is the single strongest risk factor.

How is PAD diagnosed?

PAD is diagnosed through a physical examination, the ankle-brachial index test (which compares blood pressure in the ankle and arm), and imaging studies like ultrasound, CT angiography, or MRI.

Is PAD treatment painful?

Most minimally invasive PAD treatments are performed under local anesthesia with sedation. Patients typically experience minimal discomfort during and after the procedure.

How long does recovery take after PAD treatment?

Most patients return home the same day and resume normal activities within a few days. Walking and light exercise are often encouraged soon after the procedure to promote healing.

Can PAD be cured without surgery?

Many cases of PAD can be effectively treated with minimally invasive techniques such as angioplasty, stenting, and atherectomy, avoiding the need for open surgical bypass.

Will I need to take medication after PAD treatment?

Most patients are prescribed antiplatelet medications to prevent blood clots and may also need medications to manage underlying conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

Can PAD come back after treatment?

There is a risk of re-narrowing of treated arteries (restenosis), but this is less common with modern drug-coated balloons and stents. Managing risk factors and lifestyle changes can help prevent recurrence.

What lifestyle changes can help manage PAD?

Smoking cessation is the most important change. A heart-healthy diet, regular exercise (especially walking), weight management, and controlling blood sugar and cholesterol are all essential.

How do I schedule a consultation for PAD treatment?

Scheduling is simple. Our team will review your symptoms and medical history, and arrange an appointment with Dr. Bhatti to discuss diagnostic testing and treatment options.

Advanced Vascular Care

Restore Circulation and Relieve Leg Pain with PAD Treatment

Patients from Westlake, LA are seen at our Port Arthur office. Minimally invasive treatment for peripheral artery disease that restores blood flow, relieves leg pain, and helps prevent amputation.

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Medically reviewed by Zagum Bhatti, M.D. — Board-Certified Interventional Radiologist

Last reviewed: July 4, 2026

Patients from Westlake, LA are seen at our office located at 3300 Jimmy Johnson Blvd, Suite #130, Port Arthur, TX 77642 — 48 miles away.

What Is Peripheral Artery Disease Treatment?

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition where narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs, most commonly the legs. This can cause leg pain with walking, numbness, and slow-healing wounds. Minimally invasive PAD treatment uses techniques like angioplasty, stenting, and atherectomy to open blocked arteries and restore normal blood flow. By addressing blockages early, these treatments help relieve symptoms, improve mobility, and reduce the risk of serious complications including amputation. For leg-pain claudication, current guidelines recommend structured exercise and medical therapy first, with angioplasty, stenting, or atherectomy added when symptoms remain functionally limiting; for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (rest pain or non-healing wounds), timely revascularization is recommended to help preserve the limb.

Who It's For

Who Can Benefit from Peripheral Artery Disease Treatment?

Peripheral artery disease affects millions of people, particularly those over 50, smokers, and individuals with diabetes or high cholesterol. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent disease progression and improve quality of life.

Individuals Experiencing Leg Pain When Walking

Pain, cramping, or fatigue in the legs during walking that resolves with rest is a classic sign of PAD. Treatment can relieve this discomfort and help you return to activities you enjoy.

Patients with Slow-Healing Leg or Foot Wounds

Poor circulation can lead to wounds that heal slowly or not at all. Restoring blood flow with minimally invasive PAD treatment helps promote healing and reduces the risk of infection or amputation.

Individuals with Reduced Mobility Due to Leg Discomfort

When leg pain limits your ability to walk, exercise, or perform daily activities, PAD may be the cause. Treatment can help restore circulation and improve your quality of life.

Patients at Risk of Limb Loss

Advanced PAD can lead to critical limb ischemia, a serious condition that threatens limb survival. Early intervention with minimally invasive techniques can help restore blood flow and prevent amputation.

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Common Symptoms

Peripheral Artery Disease Treatment for Patients with Leg Pain

PAD often goes undiagnosed because many people assume leg pain is a normal part of aging. However, recognizing the symptoms early and seeking treatment can prevent disease progression and serious complications.

Leg pain or cramping when walking (claudication)

Numbness or weakness in the legs

Coldness in the lower leg or foot

Sores on toes, feet, or legs that heal slowly

Change in the color of your legs

Shiny, tight skin on the legs

Peripheral artery disease is diagnosed through a physical exam, ankle-brachial index (ABI) test, and imaging studies such as ultrasound or angiography. Once diagnosed, Dr. Zagum Bhatti develops a personalized treatment plan to address your specific blockages and symptoms.

Minimally invasive PAD treatment typically involves a small catheter inserted through a blood vessel in the groin or arm. Using imaging guidance, Dr. Bhatti performs angioplasty, places stents, or removes plaque to restore blood flow. Most patients return home the same day.

If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, schedule a consultation now →

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What to Expect

Safety, Recovery & What to Expect

Endovascular PAD treatment is an established, minimally invasive procedure with a strong safety record. Understanding recovery and possible side effects is part of making an informed decision.

Recovery

Most PAD procedures are outpatient, performed under local anesthesia with conscious sedation, with same-day discharge and a return to light activity in 1–3 days.

Side effects and risks

The most common effect is mild soreness or bruising at the groin or wrist access site for a few days, managed with over-the-counter pain relief. Less common is access-site bleeding or hematoma; rare risks include vessel injury, contrast reaction, or re-narrowing (restenosis) of the treated segment requiring repeat treatment.

PAD is a progressive disease

Treatment restores blood flow but does not stop the disease — durable results depend on smoking cessation, diabetes and cholesterol control, and follow-up. Endovascular treatment isn't for everyone: claudication that responds to structured exercise and medical therapy generally should not be revascularized, and some blockages are better served by open surgery. Dr. Bhatti confirms candidacy.

Minimally Invasive Care

Minimally Invasive PAD Treatment vs. Open Bypass Surgery

For selected patients, endovascular PAD treatment — angioplasty, stenting, and atherectomy — is a less-invasive, guideline-recommended option than open bypass surgery, with 80–90% of patients experiencing significant symptom relief. It is not a replacement for surgery when surgery is the better choice; the right approach depends on the location, length, and calcification of the blockage, available vein conduit, and your surgical risk.

Pinhole entry at the groin or wrist — no open surgical incision

Local anesthesia with conscious sedation, not general anesthesia

Same-day discharge in most cases

Return to light activity in 1–3 days

Endovascular PAD Treatment vs. Open Bypass — A Direct Comparison

	Endovascular PAD Treatment	Open Bypass Surgery
Incision	Pinhole entry (groin or wrist)	Open surgical incision(s)
Anesthesia	Local anesthesia with conscious sedation	General or regional anesthesia
Hospital stay	Same-day discharge in most cases	Multi-day hospital stay
Recovery	Light activity in 1–3 days	Weeks
Regulatory status	Established; FDA-approved/cleared devices	Established surgical standard
Evidence	Guideline-recommended (2024 ACC/AHA multi-society)	Guideline-recommended; highly durable, especially with vein conduit
Insurance	Covered for medically indicated treatment; we verify benefits	Covered

Endovascular and surgical revascularization are both effective; selection is individualized (BEST-CLI and BASIL-2 inform this choice). Dr. Bhatti reviews your anatomy and surgical risk to recommend the approach that fits your case.

Are You a Candidate for PAD Treatment?

If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you may be a candidate for this treatment.

Call Now — (409) 213-9575

Question 1 of 4

Have you been diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) by a doctor?

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Your Consultation

Schedule Your Peripheral Artery Disease Consultation

Dr. Zagum Bhatti reviews whether PAD treatment is appropriate for you — and whether structured exercise, medical therapy, or another approach fits better. During your consultation, Dr. Bhatti will:

Review your symptoms, walking tolerance, and cardiovascular risk factors
Perform or review ankle-brachial index (ABI) testing and vascular ultrasound
Confirm the location and severity of arterial blockage
Discuss angioplasty, stenting, or atherectomy — and structured exercise or medical therapy where indicated
Verify insurance coverage before treatment begins

Book Your Consultation→Call (409) 213-9575

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About Your Physician

Zagum Bhatti, M.D.

Board-Certified Interventional Radiologist

Founder & Chief Medical Officer; Interventional Radiologist

Dr. Zagum Bhatti is a board-certified, dual-fellowship-trained interventional radiologist and a former Assistant Professor of Vascular & Interventional Radiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). He has dedicated his career to minimally invasive, image-guided procedures that treat serious conditions without open surgery. As Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Seamless Medical Centers, he brings academic-level expertise — including published peer-reviewed research in vascular and interventional radiology — to a community practice in Southeast Texas, making advanced treatments for enlarged prostate, uterine fibroids, knee osteoarthritis, peripheral artery disease, and chronic pain available close to home.

Education & training

B.S., Biochemistry — University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (2001–2004)
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) — Medical College of Wisconsin (2004–2008)
Residency, Diagnostic Radiology — Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (2008–2012)
Fellowship, Neuroradiology — Medical College of Wisconsin (2013–2014)
Fellowship, Vascular & Interventional Radiology — Rush University Medical Center (Rush Medical College) (2014–2015)

Board certification & licensure

Board Certified in Interventional Radiology / Diagnostic Radiology, American Board of Radiology — actively maintained in the ABR Continuing Certification (MOC) program
Texas Medical License #Q3852
NPI 1053577890

Selected publications

Portal Venous Interventions: How to Recognize, Avoid, or Get Out of Trouble in Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS), Balloon Occlusion Sclerosis (BRTO), and Portal Vein Embolization (PVE). Techniques in Vascular and Interventional Radiology 2018;21(4):267-287.
Percutaneous Venous Interventions in the Pulmonary Vascular, Central and Peripheral Venous Systems: How to Recognize, Avoid and Treat Complications. Techniques in Vascular and Interventional Radiology 2018;21(4):228-241.
Spontaneous Chyluria Treated with Retrograde Embolization via Direct Thoracic Duct Access at the Left Neck. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology 2019;30(5):772-774.
Management of Vascular Complications of Extra-corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy 2018;8(3):372-377.

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Medical Sources

The clinical information on this page is supported by the following peer-reviewed studies and professional medical society guidance.

2024 ACC/AHA/Multisociety Guideline for the Management of Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease. Circulation. 2024. — Revascularization indications (claudication after GDMT + structured exercise; CLTI Class 1); structured exercise Class 1-A; SIR/SVS co-authorship.
American College of Cardiology — Ten Points to Remember: 2024 Lower-Extremity PAD Guideline. — Recommendation classes for claudication vs CLTI.
Cleveland Clinic — Peripheral Artery Disease. — Smoking and diabetes among the strongest risk factors.

Ready to learn more?

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Bhatti to discuss your treatment options and see if this procedure is right for you.

Most major plans accepted, including Medicare/Medicaid — we verify before your visit.