Heart and Vascular Center
Vascular Surgery Peripheral artery disease or PAD (also called peripheral vascular disease or PVD) affects the arteries outside the heart and the brain.
The Heart and Vascular Center performs two types of surgery to correct PAD.
EndarterectomyThe surgical removal of plaque from an artery that has become narrowed or blocked by plaque. A vascular surgeon makes an incision in the artery and removes the plaque in the artery’s inner lining to restore blood flow. This procedure is most commonly done in the carotid arteries in the neck that deliver blood to the brain. It is also done to treat other arteries in the body.
Bypass surgeryWhen PAD results in limb-threatening blockages in the legs, bypass surgery may be performed. This involves using a blood vessel (man-made or a natural vessel from another part of the body) and placing it around a section of the blocked vessel, creating a detour or bypass. Blood flow is redirected through the new blood vessel, bypassing the blood vessel that is damaged. In addition to the legs, bypass surgery is also performed to treat blockages in blood vessels in other parts of the body.
About 10 percent of patients evaluated in the Vascular Clinic at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin require vascular surgery. When it comes to vascular disease, Froedtert & The Medical College are considered the “go to” vascular professionals in the community, with the only team in the region that is 100 percent devoted to performing vascular surgery. Patients get the right type of surgery for the right reason.
Last Review Date: June 18, 2008 Online Editor(s): Richard Petre |