Threat of arterial vascular disease from necrosis of the leg to death |

The blood vessels of our body, including the cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and arteries and veins, suffer from various diseases just like other organs. Westernization of diet, lack of exercise, and lifestyle habits such as smoking continue to increase as causes. Various diseases occur in the arteries, with the exception of the cardiovascular or cerebrovascular vessels, which are directly related to double life and receive a lot of attention.

No symptoms until 75% or more blood vessels are blocked

Blood vessels are pathways that supply blood, and cause problems when they are blocked or burst for various reasons. Besides heart and cerebrovascular diseases, there is iliac artery occlusion and lower extremity artery occlusion, which can cause necrosis in the legs, as well as abdominal aneurysms, known as ‘time bombs in the stomach’. There are usually no symptoms when the blood vessels begin to become blocked because there are no nerves in the blood vessels. Then, symptoms appear when the blood vessels are blocked by about 75%.

Vascular diseases continue to increase due to westernization of diet

Vascular diseases are on the rise, the biggest reason being the westernization of diet. Fatty foods cause waste products to build up in the blood vessels, leading to calcification. As a result, the inner diameter of the blood vessels narrows, gradually clogs, and blood cannot be supplied to the tissue, leading to various symptoms. A poor lifestyle also promotes vascular disease. Lack of exercise reduces the elasticity of blood vessels, and smoking worsens arteriosclerosis by damaging blood vessels in the long term.

Belly Time Bomb Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

The most dangerous of arterial diseases is abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture. Part of the aorta swells like a balloon, and at some point, the pressure rises and ruptures. All the blood from the heart drains into the stomach. The mortality rate before reaching the emergency room is 20%, and even if you go from the emergency room to the operating room within 30 minutes, only half of them can be saved. Since the patient’s condition is getting worse every second, the situation is urgent, so the operation is performed immediately after anesthesia and disinfection, and angiography is used to check the broken part. It should not take more than 40 minutes until the burst vessel is blocked.

Patients continue to increase due to the aging population and chronic diseases

The most common cause of abdominal aortic aneurysm is aging of the blood vessels. It is most affected by the aging population, and if you look at the actual age of patients, it is increasing from the 60s. Here, there are many people with poor blood vessel health such as diabetes or high blood pressure. The incidence in women is lower than in men due to the protective action of the hormone estrogen. However, women are characterized by rupture of smaller blood vessels and a higher mortality rate even after rupture.

Stent implantation shortens operative time and increases survival rate

Once an abdominal aortic aneurysm has ruptured, in the past, the stomach was unconditionally opened, the ruptured blood vessel was found, the upper part was dissected, and an artificial vessel was added to create a new vessel. However, it was not easy to dissect the blood vessel in a situation where blood was pouring out. Recently, a small hole is made in the skin and a balloon is placed in this area to block the blood vessel through which blood first pours. In addition, a stent is placed to secure the passage of a blood vessel, or an artificial blood vessel is added to block the broken area. Compared to open surgery, it is faster and has a higher survival rate.

Iliac and lower extremity arterial occlusion causing leg necrosis

The representative peripheral arterial diseases are iliac artery occlusion and lower extremity artery occlusion. The iliac artery is a large artery in the pelvis that goes down from the abdominal aorta to the legs, and symptoms appear when it is blocked by arteriosclerosis or blood clots. The problem is that the symptoms are so vague that it can be confused with other diseases. When you walk, your calf or buttock hurts like it’s going to burst, and the symptoms subside after you rest for a while, but it can be mistaken for disc herniations or spine. Therefore, if no abnormalities are found in the hip joint and spine, the iliac artery needs to be examined.

Iliac artery occlusion, pain when walking or running, subsides at rest

Disc pain occurs when movement or a change in posture occurs. However, peripheral vascular diseases, including this disease, are characterized by pain or cramps in the legs when walking or running, but the symptoms subside quickly at rest. I also feel cold in the blocked leg where blood is not flowing. Therefore, if you feel pain in the muscles from hip to hip, vascular surgery is recommended. In the beginning, there is only pain, but when it gets worse, blood does not pass through and tissue necrosis occurs.

Arterial occlusion of a lower limb, causing necrosis of the foot or leg

Lower extremity arterial occlusion is also on the rise. In particular, as chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes increase, not a few cases occur in patients in their 50s. As it is a peripheral vascular disease like iliac artery occlusion, the symptoms are similar. Leg pain or cramping occurs when walking or running and is relieved by rest. As the disease progresses, the legs feel cold, the color of the toes changes to black, the wounds on the feet do not heal well, and in severe cases, the legs become necrotic.

Method of diagnosis Surprisingly simple, diagnosis by measuring blood pressure in the arms and legs

Diagnosis of iliac artery occlusion and lower extremity artery occlusion is straightforward. It can be easily identified by performing an arteriosclerotic stenosis test. It is a method of comparing the difference in blood pressure by measuring the blood pressure of both arms and legs at the same time while lying down. If the ratio of ankle blood pressure to upper arm blood pressure is 0.9 or less (ankle blood pressure below 10%), it can be suspected, and confirmed by ultrasound and CT scan. The treatment of iliac artery occlusion and lower extremity artery occlusion is the same. A 0.5 cm incision is made in the groin skin, and a thin wire is inserted to scrape the calcium, or it is expanded with a balloon. If this is difficult, blood circulation is ensured by placing a stent, known in medical terms as ‘percutaneous vascular intervention’.

How to keep blood vessels healthy

It is more important than anything else to have good habits such as a healthy diet and exercise. Avoid high fat and high calorie diets and maintain a healthy weight. In particular, exercise is the best prevention method that strengthens the elasticity of blood vessels. It is good to do not only cardio-respiratory exercise, but also strength training that builds muscle. Tobacco is the biggest enemy of blood vessels, and according to research, those who smoke increase the incidence of vascular disease 4 to 8 times. Controlling blood pressure and blood sugar is also important. This is because there is no nerve in the blood vessels, so it is not possible to know at first that the blood vessels are damaged. In addition, the elderly are also a high risk group for vascular disease, so the older they get, the more they need to pay attention to their vascular health.

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