An Overview of Today's Vascular Surgery Procedures
Called brain attacks, strokes occur when blood flow is interrupted to the brain, typically because of blockage. One way to reduce the risk is with carotid endarterectomy, a surgical procedure that removes stroke-inducing blockages in the carotid artery supplying the brain. An incision is made in the neck, plaque is removed and the artery is closed. Instead of a large incision, intensive care hospital stay and 8 to 12-week recovery, patients go home the next day and are active within two weeks or less.
Testament to the Center's unwavering focus on patient safety and careful approach, surgeons are very selective in using the newest approaches: carotid balloon angioplasty and stenting. "Only a very few select cases under strict FDA study guidelines have been performed," explains Dr. Reichman.
When a blood vessel stretches out of shape and becomes an aneurysm, it weakens and can rupture or break, leading to a fatal hemorrhage. The most common locations of an aneurysm are the aorta in the abdomen and arteries in the legs. While life-threatening abdominal aneurysms can be addressed with the standard approach, endovascular repair is a far less invasive option. During the procedure, a graft or stent is placed within the blood vessel through a small groin incision. The stent or graft reconfigures the vessel so that blood moves freely through it. Patients typically return home the next day.
Atherosclerosis is a disease process causing arteries to develop plaque along their inner walls, which disturbs and/or blocks the blood flow through the artery. Arterial blockages are treated with balloon dilatation and stents to correct the decrease in circulation in the upper and lower extremity arteries. "The condition once involved a major incision and bypass procedure," explains Dr. Golueke. "Now, we can accomplish the same thing, in many cases, with balloon angioplasty and stenting."
Varicose veins form when valves in the veins malfunction. Blood, in many cases, falls downward with gravity toward the feet through those abnormal veins. The veins become dilated or varicose, and lead to leg pain and swelling.
Until recently, removing painful varicose veins involved vein stripping, a name that befits its purpose - that of pulling abnormal veins out of the leg. At GBMC, the new VNUS(r) procedure places a small tube into the vein to deliver radio frequency energy to the vein wall. This energy causes the wall to collapse and seal shut. Then, healthy veins take over and redirect blood flow. As flow returns, painful symptoms improve.
Read about GBMC minimally invasive Vascular Surgery Procedures
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