Vascular Interventions

Question 1

What vascular interventions can be used to treat narrowed or occluded arteries?

Answer 1

Angioplasty w/ Stenting- Inserting a balloon into a diseased vessel and placing a stent to widen its lumen and restore adequate arterial flow

Bypass Surgery - Surgical Revision of blood flow using a graft (typically the long saphenous vein) to create a new pathway for arterial flow around an occluded/ severely narrowed arterial segment. Can be used to treat occluded coronary arteries (coronary artery bypass graft/ CABG), or in the peripheries to treat critical limb ischaemia (Peripheral arterial bypass graft)

Question 2

What procedures can be used to treat aneurysms?

Answer 2

Cerebral Aneurysms - Can be treated with insertion of a stent and coil or clipping of the aneurysm

Thoracic or Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms - Can be treated by surgically replacing the affected section of the aorta with a graft (Typically only done if the aneurysm is 5.5cm or greater in diameter)

Question 3

What procedures can be used to treat varicose veins?

Answer 3

LIGATION AND STRIPPING OF VARICOSE VEINS
Surgical intervention involving tying off the affected vein and removing it

SCLEROTHERAPY
Injection of a liquid chemical to close off a varicose vein

AMBULATORY PHLEBECTOMY
Surgical removal of small superficial varicose veins

ENDOSCOPIC VEIN SURGERY
Closing off of a vein using a camera with a small device at the end of it

ENDOVENOUS ABALATION
Use of lasers or radio waves to create heat to close off a varicose vein, insertion of a catheter with a device at the end of it to deliver laser or radio wave therapy