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Keep walking. Treat PAD before it limits you.

Cramping, aching, or heaviness in your legs when you walk is not a normal part of aging. It is often peripheral artery disease. Our fellowship-trained interventional radiologists reopen blocked leg arteries through a pinhole, in our office, with no general anesthesia and no hospital stay.
  • No hospital stay
  • Same-day, outpatient
  • Covered by most insurance

~10%

Of adults are affected by PAD

Under an hour

Typical in-office procedure

No major surgery

Image-guided through a pinhole

Fellowship-trained

Interventional radiologists

understanding PAD

What is peripheral artery disease?

Peripheral artery disease is a narrowing of the arteries that carry blood to your arms and legs, most often the legs. Plaque made of cholesterol, calcium, and fat builds up inside the artery wall, restricting blood flow. Muscles that do not get enough oxygen cramp, ache, and tire quickly.

PAD develops over years, which is why it is so often missed. Many people adjust their habits without realizing why: walking less, stopping to rest, avoiding stairs. The important thing to know is that PAD is treatable, and restoring blood flow usually restores comfort and mobility.

Learn more about:
Epidemiology of PAD | PAD Revascularization Treatment
recognize it early

PAD symptoms and who is most at risk

PAD rarely announces itself. It shows up as fatigue, discomfort, or a wound that will not close. The prognosis for PAD varies depending on the severity of the condition and how well risk factors are managed. Here is what to watch for, and what raises your risk.
Signs of PAD
  • Cramping or aching in the calf, thigh, or hip that starts when you walk and stops when you rest
  • Legs or feet that feel heavy, numb, weak, or unusually cold
  • Cuts, blisters, or sores on the feet or toes that heal slowly or not at all
  • Skin that looks shiny, pale, or bluish, with slower hair and toenail growth
  • A weak or absent pulse in the foot or ankle
  • Leg pain at night that eases when you hang your foot off the bed
Who is most at risk?
  • Current or former tobacco use, the single strongest risk factor
  • Diabetes, particularly with any history of foot ulcers or neuropathy
  • High blood pressure or high cholesterol
  • Chronic kidney disease or dialysis
  • Age 55 and older
  • Family history of PAD, heart attack, or stroke

Untreated PAD can progress to non-healing wounds, infection, and limb loss. Georgia and the wider Southeast carry some of the highest amputation rates in the country. Early evaluation changes that outcome

protect your circulation

Slow PAD down and protect what you have

Treatment reopens the artery. These habits keep it open and protect the arteries you have not treated yet.

Avoid smoking

Nicotine constricts arteries and accelerates plaque buildup. Quitting is the single most effective step you can take, and the benefit begins within weeks.

Keep walking

Regular walking prompts your body to build small collateral vessels that route blood around a blockage. Walk until discomfort begins, rest, then continue. 

Control the numbers

Blood sugar, blood pressure, & cholesterol drive plaque formation. Managing them with your physician protects your legs, your heart, & your brain.

PAD treatment options

Reopening blocked arteries without surgery

There is no single PAD treatment. Our interventional radiologists match the approach to the location, length, and hardness of your blockage, often combining two techniques in one visit. Here is what each one does.

Angioplasty

A small balloon is guided to the blockage and inflated, pressing plaque outward and widening the channel so blood can flow through again.

Stenting

A mesh tube is placed inside the treated segment to hold it open. Stents are used where an artery is likely to narrow again after ballooning alone.

Atherectomy

A catheter-mounted device shaves or sands hardened, calcified plaque and removes it from the artery. Useful where a balloon alone will not hold.

Medications

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) management frequently involves taking medications to control symptoms and slow progression of the disease

MEET YOUR DOCTORS

Board-certified PAD across Georgia

Georgia Endovascular is led by board-certified, fellowship-trained interventional radiologists who specialize in image-guided vascular care. Interventional radiology is the specialty that pioneered minimally invasive artery treatment, and it is all our physicians do.

Dr. Kevin Lie

Interventional Radiologist
Dr. Kevin Lie is a distinguished interventional radiologist and the primary specialist at Georgia Endovascular. With over two decades of expertise, Dr. Lie is a leader in providing minimally invasive solutions for vein and vascular conditions.

Dr. Sachin Sheth

Interventional Radiologist
Dr. Sachin Sheth is an interventional radiologist in Georgia with over 10 years of experience. As a vascular specialist and embolization expert, Dr. Sheth’s experience includes peripheral vascular disease, interventional oncology, vein disease, and uterine fibroids.
what to expect

Your procedure, start to finish

Most PAD procedures are done in our outpatient office under local anesthesia and light sedation. 
No general anesthesia, no incision, no overnight stay.
How PAD treatment works
  1. Access: Your physician numbs a small area, usually in the groin or upper thigh, and passes a thin catheter into the artery through a pinhole. Live X-ray shows exactly where the blockage sits.
  2. Reopen: Using a balloon, a plaque-removing device, or a stent, your physician clears the narrowed segment and confirms blood flow with contrast imaging before finishing.
  3. Recover: The catheter comes out and pressure closes the entry point. You rest briefly, then go home. Most patients notice the difference in walking distance within days.
Depending on the location and severity of your blockage, we may use balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, stent placement, or a combination. Most procedures take about an hour, and you can walk out and resume light activity the same day.

Home the same day

Most patients are discharged within a few hours.

No general anesthesia

Local numbing and light sedation. You stay comfortable and awake.

Walking within 24 hours

Most patients return to normal activity in a day or two.

Covered by most insurance

Medically necessary PAD treatment is covered by most major plans. Our team verifies benefits before you schedule.

How high is your PAD risk?
Diabetes, smoking history, and age all raise your risk. Take our 60-second assessment to see where you stand.
Real patient experiences

What Georgia patients say about their PAD care

Rated 5 stars by patients across our Georgia locations
From the moment I scheduled my appointment, Georgia Endovascular impressed me with their amazing confirmation system and incredibly friendly staff. Every step of the process was smooth and well organized.

The day of my procedure the entire team made me feel completely comfortable and at ease. The professionalism and warmth of everyone involved was exceptional.
Sherif R.
I had the best experience! The office is very nice and welcoming. The staff were friendly and helpful. 

Nurse Jade was extremely helpful and patient with me and answered my questions. She made me feel at ease.

Dr. Lie was very knowledgeable and kind.
Kimbria H.
Excellent staff.. Dr top notch ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️The entire staff was excellent!!! Bedside manners of provider and anesthesiologist was beyond top notch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stephanie D.
Dr. Sachin Sheth did an amazing job thus far. I thought it was going to be painful….. Wasn’t sure what to expect. He explained everything to me and told me what he was doing step by step. I am so glad my Physician recommended me him. I’m seeing some result already. I would recommend my family and friends to go to him.
Leslie W.
care near you

PAD treatment locations across Georgia

Every Georgia Endovascular office offers the same specialized PAD care from the same board-certified interventional radiologists. Find the location closest to you.

Atlanta

3225 Cumberland Blvd. Southeast
Suite 520
Atlanta, GA 30339

Schedule here

Tucker

1975 Lakeside Pkwy
Suite 300
Tucker, GA 30084

Schedule here

Stockbridge

1035 Southcrest Dr.
Suite 220 + 250
Stockbridge, GA 30281

Schedule here
common questions

Peripheral artery disease FAQs

Not sure if PAD is causing your symptoms? Our team can help.
Am I a Candidate? Take the quiz678.210.6259

What is peripheral artery disease (PAD)?

Peripheral artery disease is a circulatory condition in which plaque narrows the arteries supplying the legs and arms. Reduced blood flow causes cramping, numbness, coldness, and slow-healing wounds. PAD is progressive, and it also signals higher risk of heart attack and stroke, so early diagnosis matters.

How do doctors diagnose PAD?

Most PAD is confirmed with an ankle-brachial index, a painless test comparing blood pressure at your ankle to your arm. If the result is abnormal, your physician may add ultrasound, CT angiography, or MR angiography to pinpoint the blockage before planning treatment.

Is PAD treatment painful?

Very little. The entry site is numbed with local anesthetic, and you receive light sedation to keep you relaxed. Most patients describe pressure rather than pain. There is no surgical incision, so there is no wound to heal afterward.

How long is recovery after a PAD procedure?

Most patients go home the same day and resume normal activity within 24 to 48 hours. You will be asked to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for about a week. Walking is encouraged almost immediately.

What happens if PAD is left untreated?

Untreated PAD progresses. Cramping that once appeared after a long walk begins to appear after a short one, then at rest. Advanced PAD causes wounds that will not heal, tissue death, and in some cases amputation. It also raises heart attack and stroke risk.

Can PAD come back after treatment?

Arteries can narrow again, particularly if the underlying risk factors continue. That is why treatment is paired with medication, tobacco cessation, walking, and follow-up imaging. Many patients maintain their results for years.

Does insurance cover PAD treatment in Georgia?

Medically necessary PAD treatment is covered by Medicare and most commercial plans. Coverage depends on documented symptoms and imaging. Our team verifies your benefits and explains any out-of-pocket cost before scheduling.

FROM OUR DOCTORS

PAD insights from the specialists who treat it

Clear answers to the questions patients ask most, written by the physicians who perform these procedures.
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