Your doctor can thread a small, flexible tube called a catheter through the blood vessels in your arm, leg, chest, neck or other affected area through a small incision. In a procedure known as an angioplasty, a tiny balloon on the tip of the catheter is expanded inside your artery, widening a narrowed area. The catheter can also be used to place stents, which are spring-like tubes that keep your blood vessels open or reinforce an aneurysm. These minimally invasive procedures are often used to successfully treat many forms of vascular disease, and can help prevent the need for open surgery.
When a blood vessel is significantly or totally blocked, you may need surgery to bypass the affected area. In most cases your doctor will harvest a healthy blood vessel from your leg, arm or chest. However, in some cases a donor or artificial blood vessel may be used. This healthy blood vessel is then grafted to the main artery, rerouting blood flow around the blocked or narrowed area.
If you have a significant buildup of plaque in a major artery, such as the femoral or carotid artery, your doctor may recommend surgically removing this fatty, waxy material. Compared with an angioplasty, an endarterectomy is a more permanent solution for restoring blood flow through severely narrowed arteries, and helps avoid the risk of blood clot formation around a stent.
Request an Appointment
Schedule an appointment today if you experience symptoms of vascular disease, or your primary care physician recommends that you see a specialist. Symptoms of vascular diseases include:
- Swelling of your legs or ankles
- Pain, itchiness or tightness in your legs
- Pain when walking that stops when you rest
- Twisted, enlarged veins that are close to the surface of your skin
- Brown or hardened skin, or skin that looks red or blue
Request an Appointment