Vascular Medicine and Surgery

Whether your vascular disease is genetic, a part of the aging process or the result of high cholesterol and high blood pressure, the vascular care program at MetroWest Medical Center is ready to help with innovative technology and compassionate service. Our doctors are dedicated to providing effective treatment for venous or arterial conditions and giving you back your confidence and wellbeing.

You can find treatment procedures for your vascular disease with help from the vascular surgeons at MetroWest Medical Center. Our Vascular Surgery Department utilizes advanced technology to deliver high-quality care for patients suffering from non-heart-related vascular problems. Our treatment offerings range from laser technology to treat veins to endovascular technology to treat aneurysms.

The department’s clinical services include all elements of vascular care:

• Diagnostic evaluations and medical management
• Non-invasive vascular testing
• Surgical care
• Diagnostic angiography and endovascular therapeutics (minimally invasive procedures)
• Inpatient services and critical care

Vascular System

The vascular system is a network of blood vessels that includes the arteries, veins and capillaries. The arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart throughout your body, while the veins carry the blood and waste products back to your heart. The capillaries are thin and leaky blood vessels that connect the arteries to the veins, allowing the exchange of materials between tissue and blood.

Common Vascular Diseases

Arterial Disease

Learn about symptoms, risk factors and treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).

Venous Disease

Symptoms include pain, swelling, swollen limbs, leg heaviness and fatigue, skin changes and skin ulcers, and varicose veins.

Vascular Treatment and Surgery

Vascular surgeons treat diseases of the vascular system, which involves conditions that harden the arteries and create obstructions in the blood flow to any part of the body. Some vascular surgeons specialize in more than one vascular intervention, such as open, complicated surgery and minimally invasive, endovascular procedures.

Doctors diagnose vascular diseases through a physical exam, imaging tests and blood tests. Treatment depends on the vascular condition and how severe it is. Many vascular conditions are manageable if caught early. Types of treatments for vascular disease include:

• Lifestyle changes, such as subscribing to a heart-healthy diet and getting more exercise
• Medicines for managing blood pressure and cholesterol, blood thinners and clot-dissolving drugs
• Nonsurgical procedures, such as angioplasty, stenting and vein ablation
• Surgery

When more conservative options do not work, such as lifestyle changes and medicines, your doctor may recommend any of the following medical tests, procedures or surgeries:

• Carotid duplex scan
• Temporal artery duplex scan
• Renal duplex scan
• Lower extremity duplex scan
• Mesenteric duplex scan
• Venous duplex scan
• Vein mapping by duplex
• Noninvasive aortic iliac ultrasound
• Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair
• Peripheral endovascular angioplasty/atherectomy and drug-eluting stenting
• Carotid stenting to include transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR)
• Renal artery angioplasty
• Mesenteric artery angioplasty
• Thrombolysis, endovascular venous intervention and stenting for deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Port placement
• Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement

Vascular Procedures

Some of the procedures that the Vascular Surgery Department performs include:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) open repair

  This procedure involves using a cylinder-like tube called a graft to repair the aneurysm. The graft is sewn to the aorta, connecting one end of the aorta at the site of the aneurysm to the other end. We offer both endovascular and open procedures to meet patient needs.

• Amputation

  Most amputations are due to vascular disease. In some cases, removing the limb is the best option for preventing tissue death, leading to gangrene.

• Arteriography

  This procedure helps us evaluate vascular conditions like aneurysm, stenosis or blockages with an X-ray. During the arteriogram, we inject dye into an artery to make the arteries visible on the X-ray.

• Carotid endarterectomy for carotid stenosis

  During this procedure, atherosclerotic plaque that has built up on the inside of the carotid artery wall is surgically removed through an incision on the side of the neck

• Dialysis

  This process removes waste substances and fluid from the blood that well-functioning kidneys would normally remove.

• Femoropopliteal bypass surgery

  A surgical procedure used to treat severe lower extremity blockage due to plaque in the femoral artery.

Why Would You Need Vascular Surgery?

Your primary doctor may refer you to a vascular surgeon if the pain in your legs is associated with peripheral arterial disease. Also, if you belong to the high-risk category — a smoker, diabetic or have high blood pressure, it may help to see a vascular surgeon for preventative care.