Vascular Disease
Vascular disease occurs when the blood vessels throughout the body become narrowed, blocked, ripped, torn, enlarged, or simply weakened over time. In severe cases, the vessels may even burst. Vascular surgery is a specialized area of medicine that focuses on the medical and surgical treatment of these conditions, except when they occur in the heart or brain.
How is vascular disease treated?
If you have mild or moderate vascular disease, your physician may discuss non-surgical options with you to manage the pain better or prevent the disease from getting worse.
For some people who are diagnosed early, lifestyle changes may be the best option to keep the disease from getting worse. Your physician may recommend specific changes, like:
- Eat healthier
- Exercise more
- Quit smoking,
- Reduce stress in your life
Your doctor may also prescribe medicine to prevent blood clots, lower your blood pressure or cholesterol, control blood sugar, or reduce pain. If the signs or symptoms of vascular disease are more advanced, additional medical treatment may be necessary.
Common vascular disease conditions SSM Health treats:
- Aortic aneurysms
- Aortic dissections
- Carotid artery stenosis
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Mesenteric vascular disease
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
- Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
- Renovascular disease
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Varicose veins
- Venous disease
Are there minimally invasive treatments for vascular disease?
SSM Health vascular surgeons offer a variety of minimally invasive and open techniques to treat vascular disease, including:
- Aortic Aneurysm Repair (Endovascular and Open)
- Aortic Dissection Repair (Endovascular and Open)
- Carotid Endarterectomy
- Carotid Stenting
- Fenestrated Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair (FEVAR)
- First Rib Resection for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Limb Salvage/Atherectomy (Endovascular and Open)
- Mesentric/Renal Artery Revascularization (Endovascular and Open)
- Minimally Invasive Varicose Vein Treatment/EVLT
- Transcarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR)
- Venous Stenting/Angiogram
What is peripheral artery disease (PAD)?
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common circulatory problem involving reduced blood flow to the limbs. Peripheral artery disease occurs in the arteries that carry blood to the arms and legs.
Because PAD advances at different rates, the heart and vascular specialists at SSM Health work closely with you to determine where in the body the plaque has formed, providing you with an accurate picture of your overall health.
What causes peripheral artery disease?
PAD is often caused by atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque (or fatty deposits) builds up in the artery walls, reducing blood flow. In rare cases, PAD can be caused by:
- Blood vessel inflammation
- Injury to the limbs
- Unusual anatomy of the ligaments or muscles
- Radiation exposure
When meeting with your doctor it’s important to discuss any and all outside circumstances that may play a role in your condition. This provides your care team with a full, clear picture of your health allowing them to provide you with expert care and treatment.
Signs and symptoms of peripheral artery disease can be mild to nonexistent. Leg pain while walking is the most common symptom. Additional PAD symptoms can include:
- Painful cramping in the hip, thigh or calf muscles after certain physical activities, such as walking or climbing stairs
- Leg numbness or weakness
- Burning or aching pain in the feet and toes while resting, especially at night while lying flat
- Cool skin on the feet
- Increased occurrence of infection
- Toe and foot sores that do not heal
- Absent or weak pulse in the legs or feet
It’s important to not dismiss these symptoms as a part of the aging process. Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider for a screening.
Lifestyle changes, medications, and interventional procedures are all viable treatment options for peripheral artery disease.
If your PAD can't be managed by lifestyle changes or medication you doctor may recommend a minimally invasive or open surgical technique for PAD. These procedures have shown great success in treating patients with critical limb ischemia (restriction of blood supply) and claudication (cramping pain in the leg).
Did you know exercising to increase leg circulation can reduce your leg pain? Research has shown that exercise can be highly effective in increasing leg circulation and reducing the pain caused by PAD. Great results have been achieved in a structured exercise program based on gradually increasing periods of supervised treadmill walking.
Depending on your situation, your SSM Health physician may recommend a cardiac exercise program in one of our cardiac rehabilitation centers. Our dedicated trainers and therapists can tailor an exercise program to meet your specific needs.
What is coronary artery disease (CAD)?
Coronary artery disease (CAD), a specific type of coronary heart disease (CHD), is the leading cause of death in the United States. It is a condition in which plaque - made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in the blood - builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries play an important role in supplying your heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood. As plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis.
What causes coronary artery disease?
Plaque narrows the arteries, reducing blood flow to your heart muscle. It also makes it easier for blood clots to form in your arteries, resulting in the partial or complete blockage of blood flow, and in some cases leads to heart attack. Research suggests that coronary heart disease (CHD) starts when certain factors damage the inner layers of the coronary arteries. These factors include:
- Smoking
- High levels of certain fats and cholesterol in the blood
- High blood pressure
- High levels of sugar in the blood due to insulin resistance or diabetes
The most common symptom of CAD is angina, which is often described as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing or painful feeling in your chest.
Lifestyle changes, medications, and surgical procedures are all viable treatment options for coronary artery disease.
If your CAD can't be managed by lifestyle changes or medication your doctor may recommend a surgical procedure.