When your body fails to get the desired nutrients and oxygen because of blocked arteries or veins, you could develop chronic infections. While varicose veins are unsightly and painful, a narrow or blocked artery will deprive your body of the essential nutrients. The team of specialists in vascular surgery in Gillette, WY at Wyoming Medical Associates, led by Dr. Rinker, offers their patients various treatment plans to take care of various health problems like life-threatening aneurysms and other chronic illnesses.
Below are some of the health issues a vascular surgeon treats
Peripheral Arterial Disease
The condition occurs when the arteries that carry blood to your body get affected. You are likely to suffer from the illness if you have high cholesterol levels mixing with calcium and other blood substances to form fatty deposits. Atherosclerosis is a common cause of peripheral arterial disease that forces plaque to attach itself to the inner arterial walls, thinning the arteries. The more the plaque accumulates, the less room for blood to flow, thus depriving your body of the essential nutrients and oxygen. If a specialist does not treat the accumulation of plaque, you can develop severe narrowing of the arteries leading to blockages.
How are peripheral arterial diseases treated?
These are several treatments your doctor will recommend to treat your narrowed or blocked blood vessels. These treatments include
- Angioplasty. Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure involving a catheter to access the affected blood vessel to remove the plaque. Once the catheter reaches the artery, your doctor inflates a balloon at the end of the catheter. The balloon’s pressure forces the fats to the artery walls creating more room for blood flow.
- Endarterectomy. This is a surgical procedure your doctor will be forced to perform if the arterial lining has been hardened by the deposits and cannot be removed by angioplasty.
- Peripheral artery bypass surgery. During the procedure, your surgeon bypasses your blocked artery using a graft that could either be a plastic tube or a section from one of your blood vessels.
Your veins contain tiny valves that maintain blood flow to your heart. However, when the valves malfunction, the blood forms small pools behind them, weakening the valves’ walls causing them to bulge and appear on your skin surface. You are likely to increase your risk of developing varicose veins because of various factors, including
- Being overweight
- Sitting or standing for elongated periods
How are varicose veins treated?
Your doctor will devise a treatment plan depending on the severity of your varicose veins. If you only experience mild symptoms, your doctor will advise promoting valve health and enhancing blood circulation. However, your surgeon can use advanced treatments to destroy or remove the affected veins, diverting the flow to healthy veins nearby. Advanced treatments like Sclerotherapy use minimally invasive techniques to correct the burgeoning veins.
Conditions affecting the blood vessels are common. Your arteries and veins are prone to narrowing and blockages, preventing a healthy natural flow to your body’s various parts. For more information on vascular diseases, contact the vascular professionals, or book an online appointment.