Final answer:
Tissue damage from arterial occlusion happens below the site of the occlusion due to ischemia and hypoxia that occur downstream. Prompt restoration of blood flow can potentially salvage the ischemic penumbra. on.
Step-by-step explanation:
The damage to surrounding tissue typically occurs below the site of arterial occlusion.
This is due to the fact that the blockage restricts blood flow downstream of the occlusion, which in turn leads to ischemia—reduced blood flow—and consequently hypoxia—decreased supply of oxygen—to these areas.
The ischemic penumbra or peri-infarct zone is the region that is functionally impaired but potentially salvageable if the blood flow is restored promptly.
Plaque that breaks off and travels through the bloodstream can cause this blockage at a site distant from the original location of the plaque, totally obstructing the artery and affecting the tissue that the artery supplies.
In the case of the coronary arteries, such blockages can lead to myocardial infarction—commonly known as a heart attack—where cardiac muscle death occurs due to the lack of blood flow and oxygen supply.
Inflammation plays a significant role in arterial damage as it can spread into the artery wall, scarring and stiffening it, reducing its compliance, and leading to a condition known as atherosclerosis—characterized by the buildup of plaque that narrows the arteries even further.