What Is Claudication?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
7. What Medical Treatments Are Available?
Short-term treatment goals for claudication involve reducing the pain. In the long-term, the goal is to manage the underlying condition. Your doctor may prescribe medications to decrease blood pressure, lower cholesterol, or prevent blood clots. A drug called cilostazol can help improve your blood flow and thus relieve your pain.
If other treatments are effective, surgery may not be necessary. However, in the absence of improvement otherwise, your doctor may perform a bypass procedure, which involves grafting a healthy vessel around a diseased one so that the blood can flow more easily. Another surgical option is opening the blocked artery with angioplasty.
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