Your vascular system is an extensive network of blood vessels, consisting of arteries, veins, and capillaries. When the heart pumps blood, your arteries take the oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to all the organs and cells of your body. The veins then bring the “used” blood back to your heart for refortification. Capillaries connect the arteries with the veins.
Any disease of your vascular system can impair the ability of your blood vessels to perform these vital functions and feed your cells with what they need. However, it is rare to notice obvious symptoms during the early stages of vascular disease.
If you are diagnosed with a vascular condition, your doctor will probably first recommend certain noninvasive treatments like medication and lifestyle changes – exercise, healthy diet, and quitting smoking. Vascular surgery is only recommended if the issue does not or would not respond to these changes. This surgery is also performed if necessary to save a person’s life.
Let’s talk about conditions for which vascular surgery is warranted, and where you can go in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, FL to have an evaluation and treatment to keep your vascular system healthy.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
In deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot forms in a vein deep inside your body, such as your legs. To treat DVT, the doctor prescribes medication that can cause the clot to dissipate, so that it does not break loose from the vein and cause a fatal event, such as a pulmonary embolism.
However, when medications (such as blood thinners) fail to dissipate the clot, vascular surgery is recommended. The vascular surgeon will physically remove the clot from the vein. This is called a thrombectomy.
Aortic Aneurysms
An aortic aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge (aneurysm) in the body’s largest artery (the aorta). This occurs when certain illnesses or genetics weaken your arteries.
If the bulge grows in size and bursts, emergency vascular surgery is performed to save the patient’s life. During surgery, your surgeon will remove the aorta’s bulging section and replace it with a graft, which allows blood to flow through the artery without making it swell. This is an open-chest procedure.
If you have an aortic aneurysm, it is your decision of whether to have it treated before it ruptures. There is a possibility that a fatal rupture can occur during the surgery, which is why many people with this condition maintain a wait-and-see approach. Talk to your vascular specialist about the best approach in your case.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
In peripheral artery disease, the artery supplying blood to the extremities – the arms and legs – becomes narrow or blocked, resulting in nerve damage. Peripheral artery disease is also known as arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
For a severe case of PAD, your vascular surgeon will perform angioplasty. In angioplasty, your surgeon will thread a catheter with a tiny balloon through the affected artery. The surgeon will inflate the balloon to flatten the plaque, which helps to open the artery.
Spider Veins and Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are bulging and swollen veins caused by damaged valves inside your veins. Spider veins are essentially the same thing but are much smaller and flat in appearance.
There are several surgical and injection-based treatments your vascular surgeon can perform to remove or reduce the affected veins.
Vascular Surgery in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, FL
If you or your loved one seeks an experienced vascular surgeon or interventional cardiologist (trained in vascular disease), look no further than Intercoastal Medical Group! Our vascular surgeon Dr. Ryan Suplee or one of our three interventional cardiologists (Drs. Czak, Milford, and Patel) will diagnose and treat your vascular condition.
If you have any questions related to vein disease or would like to make an appointment, call us today. For Dr. Suplee, please call (941) 341-0042, Dr. Czak (941) 538-0088, or Drs. Milford & Patel at (941) 366-1888. We look forward to serving you!
