Starting the patient on a walking program may help the symptoms and inprove quality of life. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with or without stenting works best when there is a focal stenosis or occlusion. This is used in conjunction with best medical therapy, including control of comorbidities, smoking cessation, and exercise.
Rest pain occurs when there are at least two levels of hemodynamically significant stenosis. These are the patients who have to sit with the leg in a dependent position and often report having to sleep in a chair. They may or may not have open areas or gangrene.