I just got a message from my Dad, his doctor told him that he has to have surgery because he has hardening of the arteries in his legs. Medical jellies, what can you tell me about this?

Heard about this I think, so here are some claims I cannot back up with references.
Something to do with cholesterol, bad bloodflow causes the arteries to petrify and become insanely dangerous, things need to be removed obviously. I think my dad might have had hardening arteries in his leg after they did a bypass with some of his leg arteries. If so that would be where I know it from.

Wiki confirms most of this.

What are they going to do? Put in stints? Have they checked the arteries near his heart and in his neck?

@JLeslie I’m not sure. He just relayed this message to me a moment ago, that he is going to have to have surgery. That’s all that he said.

Well, from what I understand hardening of the arteries in the legs is a sign of hardening of the arteries in other places, obviously the heart and brain or the biggest concerns. Many people get pain in their legs as a symptom, and it is a clue for heart disease and other problems. I just noticed you names heart troubles in your topics, is he already a heart patient?

He’s had a triple bypass. Is 73 and smoked on and off since he was 17. For as long as I can remember, he has complained about leg pain. Although, it has gotten worse in the last few years. We all attributed it to the fact that he was a barber (still his) and was on his feet a great deal of the time.

There are several different methods could be used. If its not too bad then they could just widen the ateries using a ballon, they could also insert a stent to help keep the artery open, finally they could perform a bypass (similar to the heart surgery he has alread had) where the diseased arteries are bypassed by grafting on either another blood vessel taken from some where else in the body or a synthetic vessel. Depending on how long a section of vessel is diseased and how big a graft is needed you can end up with quite a long scar.

It sounds like @Lightlyseared gave a good answer. Just one word of caution, make sure your dads cardiologist or GP is checking your dads neck at minimum with a stethoscope, even better an ultrasound. My dads doc failed to do those for years, and finally when he was assigned a new doctor they discovered one of his carotid arteries was almost completely blocked.

@Lightlyseared is correct.

Agreed, @Lightlyseared described the available procedures well. One thing to add, though. They may want to put your dad on an anti-platelet medication as well to prevent clots, such as aspirin or plavix.

@Lightlyseared As well as those procedures, they can insert a basket-type filter so that any thrombi that break off are caught and do not travel to other parts of the body where they can do serious damage. I’m not sure if it is done often for femoral arteries, but the technique is relatively common for the great arteries.

He has an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow. We’ll know more then.

@Dr_Dredd As he has already been seen by cardiologists I would assume that they had already started him on clodidogrel.

@Lightlyseared What’s clodidogrel? Is that a blood thinner (I am guessing that it is)? They prescribed him a blood thiner, yesterday, and he has already started taking it.

@mama_cakes clopidogrel is the generic name for Plavix (in the UK we thed to never use brand names for drugs althouh there are a few exceptions). It is classed as an antiplatlet drug so it stops platlets from working. Platlets are on of the cells you find in the blood that help to form blood clots so clopidogrel (Plavix) stops your blood from clotting so quickly. It’s given to cardiac patients after stenting to stop clots forming on the exposed metal of the stent.

@Lightlyseared That is Plavix. It’s not a blood thinner, per se, but it decreases platelet aggregation.

He left just now. I’ll let you know what he hears when he gets back.

@Rarebear Did I say it was a blood thinner? I said antiplatlet OK so I admit I spelled platelet wrong a dozen times but I’m going to put that down to spending 3 hours at the dentist having titanium pegs screwed into my jaw. Oh and something like a million X-rays

@Lightlyseared Sorry, when I did my answer above, I had meant to direct it to @mama_cakes. I saw that you were posting so I must have inadvertantly put your name. I know you know what Plavix is.

@Rarebear it’s cool