Who is this Vascular Surgeon? Let's talk about this simply!

Have you ever heard of a ' vascular surgeon '? You may find the name a bit strange, or you may not have much idea who they are. But these are a group of specialist doctors who play a very important role in curing diseases related to the blood vessel system in our body. So, today we will talk about who these people are, what exactly they do, and what will happen if you meet such a doctor, very simply.

Who is this vascular surgeon?

Simply put, a vascular surgeon is a doctor who diagnoses and treats diseases related to blood vessels in your body, except for the blood vessels in your heart and brain. Just think, our bodies have a network of blood vessels that is about 60,000 miles long, or 96,000 kilometers long! These include arteries - the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body, veins - the vessels that carry blood from the body back to the heart, and lymphatic vessels - the vessels that carry lymph fluid, which helps the body's immune system.

So these vascular surgeons are the experts who know in-depth about all these vessels, how they work, and the diseases that can occur in them. If there is a problem with your blood vessels, these people can help you manage it and keep you healthy.

You might meet one of these doctors in their office, or in a hospital, or even if you have to have surgery. These people are very skilled at solving serious medical problems and working with complex anatomy. In fact, they are sometimes called the "surgeon's surgeon ." This means that if you have an unexpected bleed or a blood vessel blockage during other surgeries, these vascular surgeons are the ones who come to the rescue.

What do these doctors do?

Okay, so what exactly does a vascular surgeon do? Let's see.

These people treat people with diseases that affect all other blood vessels, not just your heart or brain.

• They will assess your risk of developing blood vessel problems.
• Diagnosing diseases.
• Then a treatment plan will be created that suits you.

This treatment plan may include medications and changes to your daily habits – for example, exercising and being careful about what you eat and drink.

Sometimes these doctors can help save your limb , sometimes your life . They can prevent conditions like stroke , stop an aneurysm from rupturing, and relieve the pain caused by blocked arteries.

Also, various procedures and surgeries are performed to treat blood vessel diseases. These include minimally invasive treatments, such as those using a catheter, through small incisions, and even complex open surgeries , which involve large incisions. Sometimes, they also perform hybrid treatments that combine the benefits of both methods.

Most importantly, a vascular surgeon will get to know you as an individual and provide you with long-term support . This is because vascular diseases are often long-term conditions that require care for years. Many people with vascular problems also have other health problems. Therefore, their treatment plans can be a bit more complicated. In such cases, vascular surgeons work with other specialists to coordinate your care.

What kind of diseases do these people treat?

Now let's look at the main diseases that vascular surgeons treat. This list can be a bit long, because they treat a wide range of diseases:

• Aortic aneurysms - This is a bulge in the wall of your aorta.
• Atherosclerosis - This is the most common type of atherosclerosis. This is when fatty deposits build up inside the arteries, narrowing the vessels.
• Autoimmune diseases of the blood vessels - diseases in which the immune system attacks the body's own cells.
• Blood clots - These can occur in arteries or veins.
• Carotid artery disease - This is a blockage or narrowing of a major artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain.
• Cerebrovascular disease - diseases related to the vessels that supply blood to the brain.
• Chronic limb-threatening ischemia is a life-threatening condition caused by impaired blood supply to a limb.
• Chronic venous insufficiency caused by damage to the veins in the legs.
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) .
• Preparation and maintenance of dialysis access lines - This is necessary for people with kidney failure.
• Diabetes-related foot ulcers .
• Endoleak (blood leakage from the wrong place) after minimally invasive treatment for an aneurysm.
• A condition caused by compression of an artery in the abdomen (Median arcuate ligament syndrome - MALS) .
• Reduced blood supply to the intestines (Mesenteric ischemia) .
• Abdominal vein compression (Nutcracker syndrome) .
• Compression of blood vessels and nerves in the neck and arms (Thoracic outlet syndrome) .
• Narrowing of the arteries in the legs (Peripheral artery disease - PAD) .
• Peripheral artery and venous aneurysms .
• Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome .
• Compression of a vein in the pelvis (May-Thurner syndrome) .
• Stroke - Sometimes this is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel.
• Superficial venous thrombosis.
• Varicose veins .

When you look at this list, you can see how wide a range of diseases these doctors treat. All of these diseases are caused by some problem with the blood vessel system.

What tests are used to diagnose the disease?

Vascular surgeons and their teams use a variety of tests to diagnose blood vessel problems. Here are some of them:

• Ankle/brachial index (ABI) - This is a simple test that compares the amount of blood flow to the legs with the blood pressure in the arm.
• Chest X-ray - This may also be important in some blood vessel problems.
• CT angiogram - This is a specialized CT scan that can take detailed, three-dimensional (3D) pictures of blood vessels.
• Magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) - This is another type of scan to look at blood vessels. It uses an MRI machine.
• Vascular ultrasound / Doppler ultrasound - This uses sound waves to look at the flow of blood inside the blood vessels and to see if there are any blockages in the vessels. This is a painless and safe test.

These tests help doctors find out exactly what the real problem is with your blood vessels.

What kind of surgeries/treatments do these people perform?

Vascular surgeons have the ability to perform a variety of treatments and surgeries. They do this all based on your condition, choosing the method that is most appropriate for you. Here are some of them:

• Aneurysm surgery - These can be traditional open surgeries.
• Angioplasty - A procedure to remove plaque or blood clots in an artery or vein and open the blood vessel by inflating a balloon. Sometimes a stent , a small mesh tube, is inserted to keep the vessel open.
• Atherectomy - Minimally invasive removal of fatty deposits (plaque) from blood vessels.
• Endarterectomy - Another method of surgically removing fatty deposits from blood vessels (e.g., carotid endarterectomy).
• Endovascular repair of abdominal, thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (EVAR, TEVAR) - This is a treatment that involves inserting a catheter through a small incision in the groin and going through a tube, without making a large incision.
• Bypass surgery for blockages in the great arteries and arteries in the limbs - bypassing the blockage and creating a new path using a piece of vein taken from another part of the body or an artificial tube.
• Popliteal entrapment surgery.
• Stent placement in blood vessels.
• Vena cava filter placement - A small filter placed in the great vein to prevent blood clots that form in the legs from traveling to the heart or lungs.
• Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) to improve blood flow in the arteries in the neck.
• Thoracic outlet surgery to correct compression of blood vessels and nerves in the neck and arms.
• Preparation and maintenance of access routes (e.g. fistula, graft) for dialysis .
• Thrombectomy is the removal of blood clots from arteries or veins.
• Giving medications to dissolve blood clots (Thrombolytic therapy - clot busters) .
• Open surgery to correct median arcuate ligament syndrome .
• Open surgery to correct a herniated disc (Nutcracker syndrome) .
• Endovascular ablation of insufficient veins - This is a treatment for weak, leaky veins in the legs using lasers or radiofrequency waves.

Why are you being referred to a vascular surgeon?

Your primary care provider may refer you to a vascular surgeon if you have a condition that is causing your blood vessels to not work properly. Think about it, healthy blood vessels carry blood to all parts of your body. So, if one blood vessel is damaged, it can affect the entire body. That's why vascular surgeons have such an important role in finding out what's wrong and fixing it.

Typically, a person first encounters a vascular surgeon when they need this type of specialized care. However, sometimes, such as in a medical emergency, you may encounter one unexpectedly.

The word 'surgeon' can be a bit intimidating. Most people don't know exactly what a vascular surgeon is until they need one. But in reality, these doctors do much more than just perform surgery. They treat a wide range of problems with medications, lifestyle changes, and minimally invasive procedures.

However, if you do have surgery, you will need to continue seeing this doctor to monitor your condition afterward. Then, you and the doctor can work together to monitor any new problems that arise.

If your doctor has referred you to a vascular surgeon, you may have a lot of questions. 'Why do I need to see this doctor?', 'What happens next?', 'Will I need surgery?' Keep in mind that because vascular surgeons treat a wide variety of conditions and have a variety of treatment options, you may not need surgery. However, if surgery is needed, your doctor will explain why and exactly what will happen. Discuss any questions or concerns you may have with them. That way, you can get the care that's right for you, from diagnosis to recovery.

Remember briefly.

Okay, so let's briefly remember a few important things for you from what we've talked about:

• A vascular surgeon is a specialist who treats diseases of all blood vessels except your heart and brain.
• These people don't just do surgery. They use a lot of things like medication, lifestyle changes, and small treatments.
• If you think you have a blood vessel problem , or if your doctor refers you to such a specialist, don't panic.
• Learn about your condition and treatment. It's very important to talk openly with your doctor.
• The health of blood vessels is very important for the health of our entire body , so it's worth taking care of it.

So, I hope you now have a better understanding of vascular surgeons. If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to talk to a doctor!

` Vascular Surgeon, Vascular Diseases, Arteries, Veins, Surgery, Blood Circulation