Approach to Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and Keys to Building a Practice

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) presents both a major public-health challenge and a substantial clinical opportunity for interventional radiologists (IRs) to fill local healthcare gaps and disparities. This article is a practical primer for those who want to enter the peripheral arterial disease space and includes clinical assessment and workup for the patient as well as a discussion on education and hands-on training, building a referral base, creating a multidisciplinary limb-preservation program, and tracking outcomes. In the articles that follow in this issue, a more in-depth discussion will provide readers understanding on some of the tools and techniques necessary for clinical knowledge and practice development.