Vascular surgery is the branch of surgery that deals with surgical intervention in order to correct or improve a prognosis of a disease affecting the blood vessels of the body by using repair, replacement, and removal techniques.
What does a vascular surgeon do?
A vascular surgeon is a surgeon who specializes in operations conducted on the blood vessels of the body, who aims to cure or improve a prognosis of diseases affecting this part of the body.
What diseases are treated by a vascular surgeon?
The disease most often treated by this surgeon include abdominal aortic aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease, cerebrovascular insufficiency, and varicose veins.
What are the procedures used by a vascular surgeon?
The procedures most often used by a vascular surgeon from an interventional perspective include ablation, amputation, angioplasty, endarterectomy for removal of plaques in the artery, insertion of bypass, endovascular procedure for abdominal aortic aneurysm, sclerotherapy for healing varicose veins, vein stripping for removal of a segment of vein in the treatment of varicose veins, and laser treatment. From the diagnostic perspective the procedures include blood tests for markers of cholesterol or other diseases of the artery, angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, CAT scan, doppler echocardiogram, ankle-brachial index test, and nuclear magnetic resonance.
When should a patient visit a vascular surgeon?
A general practitioner will send a patient to a vascular surgeon if necessary. Another reason to visit is to monitor a postoperative recovery.
