What are the Diseases of the Arteries?
Diseases of the arteries (vascular diseases) occur when blood flow becomes blocked or narrowed. This occurs when arteries develop a build-up of plaque, commonly know as hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Plaque causes restricted blood flow in the arteries and may put you at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke, blood clots or limb amputation. Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Networks (LVHHN) Institute for Vascular Medicine and Surgery offers state-of-the-art technology for diagnosing diseases of the arteries. Several procedures are offered at our accredited, full-service vascular laboratory to measure blood flow throughout the body: Arteriogram-A small, flexible tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery at the groin. Once in place, a small amount of dye is injected into the artery allowing the blood flow to be seen with X-ray. Doppler ultrasound-A handheld instrument is moved over the skin near the blood vessel in question. Sound waves reflect off blood cells as they flow
