Vascular Surgery & Medicine
Our vascular team offers the following advanced testing, treatment and surgical procedures. You can learn more about many of these procedures when you access our Health Library. From the main topic menu, search for any cardiovascular condition your wish to research. Explore a variety of heart and vascular conditions and testing procedures.
A procedure involving the insertion of a catheter (a long, narrow, flexible tube) through a blood vessel in the groin and guided through the arteries in the legs or neck. A dye is injected through the catheter causing the blood flow through the peripheral arteries to show up on X-rays and reveal narrow openings or blockages.
A procedure used to dilate (widen) narrowed arteries. A catheter with a deflated balloon on its tip is passed into the narrowed artery. The balloon is inflated and the artery is widened.
A procedure where a small catheter (a long, narrow, flexible tube) is threaded through a blood vessel in the groin to the carotid artery, the major artery that feeds the brain, to open up a blocked or narrowed vessel. A balloon is inflated to place a stent, a wire mesh, across the blockage. The stent will become a part of the artery wall as a part of the natural healing process. This is often used in patients considered at high risk for problems with more traditional surgery.
IVC (Inferior Vena Cava) Filter Placement
Some patients are at high risk for developing clots in the legs or may already have them. These clots can travel to the lungs causing a life threatening condition called pulmonary embolism or PE. A wire mesh (the IVC Filter) can be placed in the major vein, called the inferior vena cava, returning blood to the heart from below the diaphragm. This will trap any clots that may break free in the leg while treatment is given to prevent or eliminate the clot. The filter can be removed at a later date or be left in place permanently.
Extremity Stent Placement
A procedure used to help keep narrowed arteries open. A small, wire-mesh tube is placed in an artery to form a rigid support and hold the artery open. The stent is not removed but becomes a permanent part of the artery as part of the natural healing process. This procedure is much less invasive than traditional extremity bypass grafting and involves shorter hospital stays.
Renal Artery Stenting
The blood vessels that supply the kidneys are called renal arteries. These may develop blockages leading to problems with hypertension and occasionally kidney failure. A wire mesh called a stent can be placed across a blockage to restore normal blood flow using techniques similar to how we open up the arteries that feed the heart.
Uterine Fibroid Embolization
In this procedure, small catheters (hollow tubes) are passed into the arteries that feed the uterus where the fibroid (benign tumor of the womb) is growing. Small coils are used to cause this artery to occlude and stop any further blood supply to the tumor. The body will then reabsorb the tumor as it dies off. These tumors are usually found by a gynecologist in the setting of abdominal pain. Once found, a referral is made to the vascular surgeon to see if the patient is a candidate for this procedure. If not, then the gynecologist will usually opt for the open, surgical approach.