Discovering you may have Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) can raise many questions. You might wonder what your symptoms indicate, what treatment options are out there, and, most importantly, who you should trust with your vascular care.
Choosing the right vascular specialist involves more than just finding someone who treats PAD. It requires locating a provider who takes the time to listen and understand your symptoms, evaluate your circulation from hip to toe, and create a treatment plan tailored to your personal needs.
At Southern Vascular and Foot Rescue, we focus on PAD. Detailed vascular tests and tailored treatment plans help patients grasp their condition and find suitable treatment options. This guide highlights what to consider when choosing a vascular specialist and how the right care team can support your long-term circulation and limb health.
Understanding the Different Specialties that Treat PAD
There are multiple types of vascular specialists, each with its own strengths and limitations. They differ in their training, anatomical emphasis, and preferred treatment approaches.
Vascular Surgeon – A vascular surgeon is certified to treat the entire vascular system, excluding the heart and brain. They use a combination of endovascular techniques and open surgery to manage PAD, which may include a hospital stay. Their ability to perform open surgery in a hospital allows them to transition smoothly to surgical repairs for more complex cases.
An Interventional Radiologist (IR) can diagnose and treat vascular conditions using image-guided minimally invasive procedures aided by X-rays and ultrasound. PAD treatments are outpatient procedures performed in outpatient surgical centers and specially designed Cath labs. IRs are especially skilled in non-surgical options that target the hard-to-reach vessels of the lower leg and foot, and allow patients to go home the same day.
Interventional Cardiologist (IC) specializes in diagnosing and treating heart conditions and coronary artery issues, and may also treat PAD with angioplasty and stenting. These may be suitable options for patients with advanced heart problems as well as PAD.
Interventional Nephrologist (IN) specializes in the kidneys and manages vascular access for patients with kidney disease. They can also be trained to perform atherectomies and angioplasty to treat PAD patients. This is a particularly good choice for renal patients who also have PAD.
Key Criteria for Choosing a Vascular Specialist
1. Expertise in Advanced Treatment Options
All four vascular specialties can be a good choice for PAD care. When searching for a provider, consider a vascular specialist whose practice focuses on PAD and who uses modern, image-guided therapies to treat patients on an outpatient basis.
- Interventional Radiology Excellence:Interventional radiologists (and some specially trained vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and interventional nephrologists) use advanced, real-time imaging to navigate blood vessels with precision through a tiny pinhole entrance, requiring no hospital stay and minimal recovery time.
- Targeted Plaque Removal:Make sure the practice provides effective options such as angioplasty (using tiny balloons to open narrowed vessels), atherectomy (safely removing plaque from arterial walls), and Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) to break up hardened calcium, and specialized stenting to keep arteries open.
- Outpatient Convenience:When possible, select specialist centers that perform these procedures in an outpatient setting. This allows you to recover comfortably and return home the same day with minimal disruption to your daily life, family, and work.
2. Focus on Limb Preservation, Including the Foot
If you suffer from severe vascular disease, non-healing foot ulcers, or diabetic neuropathy, generalized care is simply not enough. You need specialists whose daily practice centers on saving limbs from preventable amputation. Dr. Thomas Hodgkiss and our Southern Vascular and Foot Rescue team focus on individualized limb-preservation strategies designed to restore circulation and protect feet and legs from preventable amputations.
- Second Opinions for Complex Cases: Look for a practice with experience treating small-vessel disease, including those in the foot. This is particularly important for patients who have been told elsewhere that they have “no options” and face possible amputations.
- Proprietary Limb-Salvage Approaches:Seek out dedicated care protocols, such as the Foot Rescue™ program, designed to restore vital blood flow to the smallest vessels in the feet, help heal chronic, painful wounds, and prevent tissue loss.
- Integrated Care: The right specialists understand that blood circulation, pain management, diabetic nerve issues, and wound healing are interconnected and can address a patient’s full PAD care, rather than just perform PAD surgeries or procedures.
3. Comprehensive Vascular Diagnostic Capabilities
An effective vascular specialist does not rely on guesswork. They rely on painless, precise diagnostic testing performed directly inside their clinic facilities.
- Diabetic-Specific Testing:Ensure the provider offers advanced diagnostics, such as the Toe-Brachial Index (TBI). This test provides accurate blood pressure readings in the toes, even for diabetic patients whose larger leg arteries may be hardened or calcified. The TBI is preferred over the ankle-brachial index (ABI) because it can also detect blockages in the foot, not just the leg.
- Standard Non-Invasive Diagnostics:Confirm they use essential tools, such as vascular ultrasound, to precisely locate arterial blockages. Ask if an ultrasound will be used in your first appointment. Diagnostic testing should be quick, painless, and communicated clearly so you fully understand your circulation health before any treatment plan begins.
- A Focus on Patient Education:Your family, caretakers, and advocates should be welcome to participate in the conversation. Read patient reviews and look for evidence that the practice’s evaluation answers all the patient’s questions.
4. Patient-Centered, Compassionate Care Philosophy
Medical expertise must go hand in hand with empathy. A vascular specialist should treat you like a person, not a disease, and not like a procedure. Every patient situation is different, and you should look for a practice that will take the time to listen to you and fully understand your specific symptoms and goals.
- Clear Communication:Look for a clinical team that asks questions and listens to the answers, gets to know the patient, and explains complex conditions in plain language, replacing dense medical jargon with honest, practical answers.
- Focus on Patient Comfort:From local anesthesia and mild sedation during procedures to comfortable recovery lounges, your care team should work actively to eliminate anxiety.
- A “No Surprises” Approach:Total transparency about what to expect before, during, and after your treatment helps you stay fully in control of your health journey.
- A Focus on Long-Term Results:PAD is a chronic disease that cannot be cured, only managed. Choose a practice that emphasizes long-term patient relationships, lifestyle changes, and follow-up care, and has a track record of positive outcomes. Once again, you can learn a lot by reading Google Reviews for the practice.
5. Local Accessibility and Regional Footprint
Top-tier vascular care should never require driving hundreds of miles or dealing with massive, impersonal hospital systems.
- Convenient Clinic Locations:Choose a practice with multiple regional outpatient clinics in your area. Southern Vascular and Foot Rescue operates 5 regional clinics across Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky (such as centers in Union City, TN; Fulton, KY; Batesville, MS; Southaven, MS; and Olive Branch, MS).
- Community Alignment:Providers who live and work in the Mid-South understand regional health challenges and deliver personalized care tailored directly to their neighbors. Southern Vascular and Foot Rescue has a mission to reduce unnecessary amputations due to PAD in MS, TN, and KY.
- Ongoing Continuity of Care:From your initial consultation to follow-up visits and structured walking programs, local access ensures you stay consistent with your long-term vascular health.
Red Flags to Avoid When Selecting a Specialist
Jumping Straight to Amputation
Never accept amputation as your only option without seeking a second opinion from a dedicated limb-salvage and vascular specialist.
Lack of Specialized Diagnostics
Avoid practices that rely solely on basic physical exams without performing advanced, non-invasive vascular testing, such as TBI and vascular ultrasound.
Impersonal, Rushed Consultations
If a doctor does not take the time to answer your questions, review your risk factors, or explain your outpatient treatment options clearly, look elsewhere.
Inflexible Treatment Options
If you are a good candidate for minimally invasive outpatient treatment, you should not be forced into prolonged hospital stays unnecessarily. Also, make sure your provider can address blockages in the feet as well as the legs.
Restoring Blood Flow Promotes Healing
Southern Vascular and Foot Rescue addresses the vascular problems that cause non-healing wounds. Their minimally invasive procedures aim to improve blood flow throughout the leg and foot, supporting the body’s natural healing ability.
What to Expect During Your First Consultation
Initial Evaluation & Health History
Your specialist will review your personal and family medical history. They will focus on key vascular risk factors, including previous vascular treatments, diabetes, smoking history, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, past heart issues, obesity, and sedentary lifestyles.
Painless Vascular Screening
During your visit, the clinical team will perform non-invasive diagnostic tests right in the office to pinpoint exact areas of restricted blood flow in your legs and feet.
Custom Treatment Planning
Your vascular provider will discuss the results directly with you. Together, you will outline a personalized plan that may involve conservative medical monitoring, medication, structured exercise programs, dietary changes, diabetic neuropathy care, or a minimally invasive outpatient procedure.
Take Control of Your Circulation Health Today
Peripheral Artery Disease is treatable, especially when it is identified early. If you have leg pain while walking, poor circulation, or a foot wound that is slow to heal, a vascular evaluation can help determine the cause and the most appropriate treatment plan.
Schedule an appointment with Southern Vascular and Foot Rescue at one of our convenient locations:
Our board-certified interventional radiologist and interventional nephrologist provide individualized PAD care focused on improving circulation, preserving limb health, and helping patients return to their daily activities. PAD is our specialty at Southern Vascular and Foot Rescue.
FAQs
A board-certified interventional radiologist, vascular surgeon, interventional cardiologist, or specially trained interventional nephrologist or nurse practitioner can assess PAD and suggest the most suitable treatment based on your circulation.
If you have leg pain while walking, leg cramps at night, cold feet, numbness or tingling in the feet, foot discoloration, or nonhealing foot wounds, you should schedule a vascular evaluation.
Many patients are candidates for minimally invasive outpatient procedures, depending on the severity of their condition. Choose a provider who can provide a range of treatment options.
Common diagnostic tests include the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI), Toe-Brachial Index (TBI), vascular ultrasound, and a comprehensive vascular evaluation.
A second opinion from a vascular specialist can help determine whether additional limb preservation treatment options are available.
