Peripheral artery disease: The biggest killer you’ve probably never heard of

Imagine putting your socks on one morning and noticing your big toe, which has been painful for a few weeks, has started turning black. A trip to your doctor ends in being referred urgently to a specialist. They tell you a bypass operation of a blocked artery in your thigh is needed to save your foot. This is the reality for far too many people. In the UK, vascular surgeons performed more than 3,500 amputations in 2023.