Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) affects approximately 1 in 20 people over the age of 50, or about 10 million people in the United States. It develops most commonly as a result of atherosclerosis, a condition associated with coronary artery disease. With PVD, the same type of atherosclerotic plaque that clogs coronary arteries causes arteries that carry blood to the arms or legs to become narrowed or clogged, diminishing blood flow. In some cases, PVD may lead to blood clots that close the arteries and restrict blood flow. If left untreated, the narrowing of arteries may lead to serious and potentially life-threatening complications including debilitating leg pain and a high risk of gangrene, tissue ulceration and loss of limbs. When a vessel is obstructed by thrombus it is important to restore blood flow quickly since, without treatment, nerves and muscle begin to break down and tissue begins to die within 4 to 6 hours.

In the United States, approximately 1.5 to 2.0 million people are diagnosed annually with peripheral atherosclerosis but only about one quarter of them undergo some kind of treatment. Standard therapies for treating PVD, such as using thrombolytic drugs to dissolve clots, prolong the time before intervention, often taking hours and increasing risks to the patient, particularly in high risk sub-groups like the elderly. With the AngioJet System, treatment time can be reduced to minutes, quickly restoring blood flow and significantly diminishing the risk of limb loss and trauma for the patient.