Advances in percutaneous therapy for upper extremity arterial disease.

Upper extremity arteries are affected by occlusive diseases from diverse causes, with atherosclerosis being the most common. Although the overriding principle in managing patients with upper extremity arterial occlusive disease should be cardiovascular risk reduction by noninvasive and pharmacologic means, when target organ ischemia produces symptoms or threatens the patient's well-being, revascularization is necessary. Given their minimally invasive nature and successful outcomes, percutaneous catheter-based therapies are preferred to surgical approaches. The fact that expertise in these techniques resides in not one but several disciplines (vascular surgery, radiology, cardiology, vascular medicine) makes this an area ripe for multidisciplinary collaboration to the benefit of patients.