Vascular Surgery

An aneurysm is a weak, bulging area in an artery, such as the aorta (your body’s largest artery). If the aneurysm bursts, it causes internal bleeding—a medical emergency.

To prevent an aneurysm rupture, an Adventist HealthCare vascular surgeon can place a tiny tube at the artery’s weak area to reinforce it. Depending on the surgical approach and location of the aneurysm, your procedure may be:

• Open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair
• Minimally invasive endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) or thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (TEVAR)

To receive dialysis, you may need a vein and artery fused together into a fistula. A vascular surgeon creates that fistula so blood can flow more freely, allowing you to receive dialysis safely.

Instead of a fistula, you may receive a graft. Graft creation is similar, but it includes a tube that allows blood to flow more freely so you can receive dialysis.

If you have carotid artery disease, the large arteries in your neck are clogged with fatty plaque. During carotid endarterectomy, your doctor opens up these arteries and removes the plaque so blood can flow more easily to your brain.

This is a procedure to treat plaque buildup due to carotid artery disease. A surgeon places a small tube (stent) in the large arteries of your neck so blood flows better to your brain. This reduces the risk of a stroke.

If you have peripheral artery disease (PAD), blood vessels in your legs are clogged with plaque. Angioplasty uses a tiny balloon to widen them, and stenting keeps the arteries open with tiny tubes. This minimally invasive treatment improves the flow of blood through your legs, relieving pain and other symptoms.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) causes plaque to build up inside blood vessels in your legs, making it difficult for blood to flow well. A lower extremity atherectomy uses a tiny tool to cut through or scrape away the plaque inside your artery. This procedure is minimally invasive, which means it doesn’t require a large incision and leaves almost no scar.

If there is a blockage in one of your leg’s arteries, bypass surgery can redirect blood flow around the clogged area. This treatment puts in a tiny plastic tube or a healthy vein taken from somewhere else in your body. Blood flows through the new path, avoiding the blocked artery.

Several different procedures can treat damaged or clogged veins in your leg. Some lower extremity venous procedures include:

• Endovenous laser treatment
• Phlebectomy
• Sclerotherapy
• Thermal ablation

When you have major spinal surgery, an Adventist HealthCare vascular surgeon may be part of your surgical team. Your spine has many veins and arteries around it that could sustain damage during surgery. A vascular surgeon is there to quickly repair any problems or damage that occurs with your veins and arteries.

This treatment uses medication to dissolve blockages and blood clots in your veins or arteries. You receive the medication via IV or injection directly into the area with the blood clot using a long, thin tube called a catheter.

Another option is mechanical thrombectomy. In that case, a tiny tool with a suction cup or strong jet of water sucks up or destroys the clot.