What vascular conditions commonly require surgical treatment?
Treatment for most vascular conditions begins with conservative options such as medication and lifestyle changes. Your doctor may recommend surgery when your condition persists or if it’s life-threatening.
Vascular conditions that may need surgical intervention include:
- Aneurysm: a weak area in an artery wall that bulges out
- Atherosclerosis: cholesterol and other fats (plaque) build up on artery walls
- Peripheral artery disease: arteries that carry blood to your arms and legs become narrow or blocked
- Thoracic outlet syndrome: compressed blood vessels in your upper chest
- Deep vein thrombosis: a blood clot in a vein deep below your skin’s surface
- Varicose veins: enlarged blood vessels
- Venous ulcers: non-healing arterial and diabetic wounds caused by poor blood flow
What are the most common vascular diseases?
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is often associated with the arteries supplying blood to your heart, but it may occur in any artery in your body. It’s responsible for two of the most common vascular diseases:
Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
PAD occurs when plaque accumulates in arteries that supply blood to your legs, stomach, arms, and head. It most often affects your legs, causing pain and fatigue while walking.
Carotid artery disease
The carotid arteries carry blood up your neck and to your brain. When they develop atherosclerosis, you’re at risk for having a stroke. About 80% of strokes arise when blood flow to the brain stops due to carotid artery disease.
What procedures are available during vascular surgery?
The vascular surgeons at Clifton Surgery Center repair most conditions using minimally invasive surgery. Since these type of procedures only use a few small incisions, it causes significantly less trauma to the affected tissues. As a result, you have less postoperative pain, you recover much faster than with open surgery, and you have minimal scarring.
Common vascular procedures include:
- Endovascular stent graft: insertion of a stent graft to repair an aortic aneurysm
- Angioplasty and stenting: a blockage in an artery is opened with a balloon, and a stent is inserted to hold it open
- Carotid endarterectomy: removal of plaque from the carotid artery
- Dialysis access: a catheter, fistula, or graft is put in place to accommodate ongoing dialysis
- Ambulatory phlebectomy: removal of varicose veins
When your doctor recommends vascular surgery, you can depend on the expertise of the physicians at Clifton Surgery Center. Schedule an appointment by calling.
