The first thing to do is to stop smoking. There is absolutely no
doubt that this is by far the most important factor. About 97% of patients
with peripheral arterial disease have been dedicated cigarette smokers for
more than 20 years. Doctors used to think that the damage had been done by the time they saw a patient and that he or she may as well carry
on smoking. It has been shown that this is not true. From the moment
the patient stops smoking the chances for that patient improve. The
necessity of an operation is much less in person who stops smoking;
amputations for arterial disease are almost never necessary for
non-smokers.