Catheter-Based Treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease
(PAD)
Risks
After your interventional procedure, it’s important for you to stay in touch with your doctor. Your healthcare team will recommend that you watch the area where the catheter was inserted. It’s normal to have a bruise or discolored area near where the catheter was inserted. At the same site, there may also be a small lump, soreness when pressure is applied, and perhaps a small amount (one or two drops) of discharge. If the puncture wound gets bigger; turns red; drains a thick yellow/brown material; or is painful, even when no pressure is applied, then you should call your doctor. A larger, painful lump may be a sign that the puncture hole isn't healing properly or is leaking blood.
Other reasons to call your doctor include the following:
- If you have fever
- If you experience swelling, with or without pain, anywhere in the leg in which the catheter was inserted
Infection isn't the only risk. There's a potential risk to cause damage to the major blood vessels in the legs that may require additional surgeries or potentially even amputation. In addition, there's a mild risk in patients with kidney disease that the contrast in the angiogram can cause kidney function to worsen.