Vascular Surgery Overview

Overview of Vascular Surgery

• Vascular surgery is a surgical subspecialty that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and management of disorders related to the blood vessels, arteries, and veins.
• Vascular surgeons treat a wide range of conditions, including aneurysms, atherosclerosis, arteriovenous malformations, and varicose veins.

Types of Vascular Surgery

• Open surgery: traditional surgical approach where a large incision is made to access the affected blood vessel.
• Endovascular surgery: minimally invasive procedure where a small incision is made and a catheter is used to navigate to the affected area.
• Hybrid surgery: combination of open and endovascular techniques.

Conditions Treated by Vascular Surgeons

• Aneurysms: balloon-like dilation of an artery due to weakening of the vessel wall.
• Atherosclerosis: plaque buildup in the arteries, leading to narrowing or blockage.
• Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs): abnormal connections between arteries and veins.
• Varicose veins: enlarged, twisted veins that can cause pain and discomfort.
• Carotid artery disease: narrowing or blockage of the carotid arteries, which supply blood to the brain.
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD): narrowing or blockage of the peripheral arteries, which supply blood to the legs and arms.

Procedures and Techniques

• Angioplasty: widening of a narrowed or blocked artery using a balloon-tipped catheter.
• Stenting: placement of a small mesh tube (stent) to keep an artery open.
• Endarterectomy: removal of plaque from an artery.
• Bypass grafting: creation of a detour around a blocked artery using a graft.
• Vein harvesting: removal of a healthy vein to use as a graft.

Training and Certification

• Vascular surgeons typically complete a general surgery residency and additional specialized training in vascular surgery.
• Certification is obtained through the American Board of Surgery (ABS) or the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS).

Overview of Vascular Surgery

• Deals with diagnosis, treatment, and management of disorders related to blood vessels, arteries, and veins.

Types of Vascular Surgery

• Open surgery: large incision to access affected blood vessel.
• Endovascular surgery: minimally invasive procedure with small incision and catheter navigation.
• Hybrid surgery: combination of open and endovascular techniques.

Conditions Treated by Vascular Surgeons

• Aneurysms: balloon-like dilation of an artery due to weakening of vessel wall.
• Atherosclerosis: plaque buildup in arteries, leading to narrowing or blockage.
• Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs): abnormal connections between arteries and veins.
• Varicose veins: enlarged, twisted veins causing pain and discomfort.
• Carotid artery disease: narrowing or blockage of carotid arteries supplying blood to brain.
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD): narrowing or blockage of peripheral arteries supplying blood to legs and arms.

Procedures and Techniques

• Angioplasty: widening of narrowed or blocked artery using balloon-tipped catheter.
• Stenting: placement of small mesh tube (stent) to keep artery open.
• Endarterectomy: removal of plaque from artery.
• Bypass grafting: creation of detour around blocked artery using graft.
• Vein harvesting: removal of healthy vein for use as graft.

Training and Certification

• Vascular surgeons complete general surgery residency and specialized training in vascular surgery.
• Certification obtained through American Board of Surgery (ABS) or American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS).