Vascular Surgery

If you have vascular disease, Palmdale Regional Medical Center can help by combining surgical expertise with advanced technology and procedures to promptly diagnose and treat a comprehensive range of vascular disorders.

Vascular surgeons at Palmdale Regional Medical Center use a number of diagnostic and surgical techniques, including ultrasound enhancement, angioplasty, stenting devices, endoluminal bypasses and improved imaging techniques to help diagnose vascular disease and promote excellent outcomes and rapid recovery.

Vascular disorders fall into two broad general disease processes, which affect the arterial and venous systems respectively:

• Atherosclerosis occurs when plaque builds inside the arteries and hardens, limiting blood flow to other parts of the body. Atherosclerosis can affect any artery in the body and could lead to coronary heart disease, carotid artery disease, peripheral arterial disease or chronic kidney disease.
• Thrombophlebitis occurs when a blood clot causes a vein to swell. Left untreated, thrombophlebitis can cause severe pain, or part of the clot can break loose and travel into a lung, causing a pulmonary embolism.

Because vascular disease can involve multiple systems in the body, treating a patient who has vascular disease often requires the combined efforts of surgeons, radiologists and internists, as well as a variety of techniques. Palmdale Regional Medical Center offers several treatment options, including ultrasound enhancement, angioplasty, stenting devices and improved imaging techniques to help identify and control the issues that arise from these diseases.

Vascular ultrasound, for example, is similar to an X-ray and can provide pictures of the body’s veins and arteries and helps physicians to evaluate the blood flow. Doppler ultrasound can show blood flow in the major arteries and veins in the abdomen, arms, legs and neck. Angioplasty can help improve blood flow in the arteries and veins through the use of a catheter and balloon which is inflated to open the vessel. A stent may also be placed inside to keep the vein open.

Five Tips for Vascular Health

The vascular system is made up of arteries and veins that carry oxygen-rich blood to vital organs throughout your body and return oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs to be replenished. Plaque, a combination of cholesterol, fat, calcium and other substances found in the blood, may build up as we age, restricting blood flow and creating serious health risks such as carotid artery disease and peripheral artery disease.

Follow these five tips for overall good health:

1. Stop smoking
2. Eat a healthy, low-fat diet
3. Maintain good cholesterol levels
4. Check your blood pressure regularly and keep it in a normal range
5. Exercise regularly — even a moderate walking program can be effective

If you are age 55 or older, talk with your doctor about painless, noninvasive vascular screenings. Vascular disease can be controlled if diagnosed and treated early.