Treatments for Vascular Disorders
Vascular Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures We Perform
Imaging studies are performed using X-ray, CT or MRI; often with the aid of a contrast material, to view blood vessels in great detail and to evaluate blood flow and determine areas of blockage.
A catheter is threaded up through the groin to the point of narrowing or blockage, and a tiny balloon at the tip of the catheter is inflated to open the narrowed or blocked artery or vein. It is then deflated and removed, restoring adequate blood supply to the chest, abdomen or legs.
Endovascular stent grafting (Stenting)
There is a silent killer among us. Known as Triple A, or AAA, abdominal aortic aneurysm is the third leading cause of death in men over age 60. When AAA ruptures, it carries a 75-90% mortality rate. AAA is an aneurysm (blood-filled bulge) occurring in the abdominal aorta, an artery located behind the belly near your back that carries blood to the lower part of the body. You don't feel it and, until it ruptures, you rarely have symptoms. It is estimated that more than a million people are living with an undiagnosed AAA. Often found by accident during a screening for back or abdominal pain, Valley Medical Center’s Vascular Clinic surgeons repair these deadly bulges.
Stenting is used to help prevent rupture of aneurysm (a weakened, bulging area of an artery or vein) in the abdomen, chest or neck. It can also be used to treat severe peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Using a catheter as the mode of transport, a thin mesh tube is threaded through the groin. It is placed to serve as permanent reinforcement to hold open the walls of an artery or vein. Stenting is often performed in conjunction with balloon angioplasty. Stents can be coated with time-release medication. These are known as drug-eluting stents, and help prevent the artery from narrowing or becoming blocked again (restenosis) as tissue grows over the stent. Today, a million Americans a year receive stents.
Thrombolysis (dissolving blood clots in arteries and veins)
Clot-busting drugs or tools are introduced directly into an artery or vein via catheter to dissolve or manually break up a clot. Thrombolysis is performed as an emergency treatment for stroke to restore blood flow in the brain. It may also be a scheduled procedure, such as therapy to treat a blocked access graft or deep vein thrombosis.
Traditional open procedures
Surgical bypass grafts (aortic/iliac/peripheral)
Not all patients are candidates for endovascular procedures. We also perform traditional surgical bypass grafts in the chest, abdomen and legs to improve blood flow, “detouring” blood from diseased arteries and veins and rerouting the flow through a stronger, healthier bypass section made of Dacron fabric or a healthy vein taken from your own arm or leg.
For information about our services or to schedule a consultation, call 425.656.5568.
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