- Atheroma causes narrowing of the peripheral arteries with a consequent reduction in flow.  Whilst flow may be adequate for tissue perfusion at rest, exercise causes pain due to ischaemia (intermittent claudication).  When symptoms are intolerable, pain is present at rest or ischaemic ulceration has occurred, arterial reconstruction is required.  Reconstruction is performed using either the patient's own saphenous vein or a synthetic graft (Dacron or PTFE) to bypass the occlusion.  Disease which is limited in extent may be suitable for interventional procedures such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or stent insertion.


Reference:
1. Anatomy at a Glance. Omar Faiz and David Moffat.  Blackwell Science. 2002.