Benefits of Cyroplasty for Artery and Vascular Disease

Published on: September 27, 2018 (Last modified on: March 19, 2019)
woman with healthy legs

Angioplasty is a common treatment to open arteries to prevent blockages and improve circulation. One type of angioplasty is cyroplasty, a specialized option that uses both balloon dilation and cryotherapy to open arteries, reduce plaque and improve blood flow. This treatment can be effective for some types of artery and peripheral vascular disease that cause pain and numbness in the legs.

Cyroplasty – how it works?

Cyroplasty is performed like most angioplasty, with a catheter inserted into the femoral artery with a balloon tip attached. Using fluoroscopy, the catheter is guided to the affected artery. The difference between cyroplasty and traditional angioplasty is that instead of saline to dilate the balloon to widen the artery, nitrous oxide is used. This inflates and cools the balloon inside the artery. While both angioplasty and cyroplasty expand the artery to improve blood flow, the coldness of cryotherapy has additional benefits, including:

  • Breaking up plaque in the artery
  • Reducing scarring inside the artery
  • Arteries stay open longer
  • Less risk of blood clots, aneurysms or other complications

Cyroplasty is a fairly new option in angioplasty and is often recommended for arteriosclerosis in the femoral and popliteal arteries. Because of the lower risk of restenosis complications, it can be a safer and more effective option for those with some types of artery disease.

If you are suffering from leg cramping, numbness and pain from artery disease, cyroplasty may be a minimally-invasive treatment option to give you relief and protect your health. Consult with a vascular surgeon that offers cyroplasty to find out if this treatment is a good option to dilate your arteries, improve blood flow and offer relief from your symptoms.

Posted on behalf of:
Alan Benvenisty, MD
1090 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10025
212-523-4706

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