In preliminary testing, all of the 22 study participants facing almost-certain amputation were successfully treated with cryoplasty therapy that gently cools and opens leg arteries clogged with plaque, according to data presented at a recent international symposium.

The new type of angioplasty uses nitrous oxide gas to improve blood flow in blocked arteries of the lower legs. The findings are especially encouraging for diabetics, one in three of whom suffers from PAD.

Previous data on 102 patients who received cryoplasty therapy to treat blocked upper leg or knee arteries show that 83 percent of the arteries remained opened after nine months. Typically, 59 percent of blocked blood vessels treated with traditional angioplasty remain open after one year. Nearly 90 percent of people reported an improvement in leg pain while walking.

The new cryoplasty therapy is offered at nearly 800 sites in the United States, including most major hospitals.