Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy Treatments and Services
Emory's Division of Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy is committed to providing excellent patient care, promoting overall vascular health, pioneering innovative clinical research and training the best vascular surgeons in the world. As contributors to one of the leading investigative centers in the nation, our vascular surgery specialists have often been directly involved with developing or refining the procedures they perform.
Some of the treatments provided by the Division Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy include:
During 2009, Emory’s vascular surgeons have repaired more than 350 aortic aneurysms. Over the past five years, we have successfully performed more than 700 open and endovascular repairs for thoracic aortic aneurysms and more than 1,200 open and endovascular repairs for abdominal aortic aneurysms.
With each patient, we perform thorough diagnostic tests to determine the severity of the aneurysm in order to recommend the most appropriate treatment choices. If the aneurysm meets certain parameters, surgeons can perform minimally invasive endovascular stent graft repair. These stent grafts (small metal scaffolds or tubes) reinforce the weakened portion of the aorta and are placed using a catheter (thin, flexible tube) inserted in a vessel in the groin. The hospital stay is often only one or two days, with most patients returning to work and normal activity in about a week.
In cases where endovascular repair is not appropriate, surgeons can perform the traditional "open" procedure, with incisions at the aneurysm site and repair using a graft.
With all methods, long-term monitoring and periodic scans at the Emory Non-invasive Vascular Laboratory help ensure the ongoing integrity of the repair.
Following diagnosis of severe carotid artery disease, numerous studies have shown that carotid endarterectomy is the best treatment method available for restoring the artery, and thereby preventing stroke. Since the plaque is typically limited to a very small area in the mid-portion of the artery in the neck, removal by carotid endarterectomy can be performed through a small incision and frequently under local anesthesia. Recovery from carotid endarterectomy surgery and resumption of day-to-day activities is usually fairly quick, and 90 percent of patients have normal carotid arteries for the rest of their lives. Follow-up ultrasound scans are performed at regular intervals.
• Exercise Training: With peripheral arterial disease (PAD), muscles receive only limited amounts of oxygen due to impaired circulation. Over time, a regular exercise regimen can train muscles to use lower levels of oxygen more efficiently, gradually allowing the patient to walk further and further without pain.
• Drug Therapy: Certain medications, in combination with exercise, can improve the discomfort experienced by patients with claudication (pain and cramping that leads to limping). Our board-certified vascular specialists coordinate this drug therapy with patients' other medications to avoiding contraindications.
• Balloon Angioplasty With or Without Stent Placement: In balloon angioplasty, a smallballoon attached to a catheter (thin, flexible tube) is inserted into a blood vessel. Under X-ray guidance, surgeons direct the catheter to the site of the blocked artery, where the balloon inflates, opening the vessel. Depending on the condition of the artery, a stent (small metal scaffold or tube) may be inserted to keep the artery open.
• Surgical Revascularization: If severe blockages are present in several leg arteries, balloon angioplasty and stent placement may not sufficiently restore circulation. In such cases, revascularization by surgical bypass is frequently the treatment of choice. The procedure usually involves removing a vein from the patient's leg and using it to route blood flow around the blocked artery segments.
At Emory, thrombolytic therapy is a common treatment approach for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Thrombolytic therapy uses medication to dissolve blood clots, in some cases with the use of a catheters (thin, flexible tubes) to deliver the medication to the site of the clot. Other treatment options may also be discussed with your doctor.
Physicians in the Division of Vascular Surgery have extensive experience treating venous stasis ulcers by isolating and eliminating the diseased veins in an outpatient setting. Our treatment team includes wound-care nurses that specialize in the long-term care of these lesions.
Learn more about treatment options available at Emory for venous stasis ulcers.
Since vein disorders are not always visible, the diagnostic services available at EHC are essential to determining their cause and severity, the primary method being duplex ultrasound imaging, which uses sound waves to trace the patient's blood flow.
Once the diagnosis has been established, there are two primary modes of treatment for varicose veins: the conservative approach, which can involve such low-impact methods as compression stockings to support and compress veins and improve circulation; or the corrective approach, which applies procedures like sclerotherapy, Endolaser™ ablation or phlebectomy. In most cases, a combination of treatment methods is advised for varicose veins.
Learn More About Treatment Options Available at Emory for Varicose and Spider Veins.
