Vascular Surgical Procedures
Mercy’s highly specialized vascular surgery staff performs the entire range of reconstructive vascular procedures to relieve the effects of blocked blood vessels. They also treat aneurysms of the aorta and other blood vessels, and perform bypasses, endarterectomies, vein stripping, and vascular access procedures for hemodialysis. Skin grafting and other wound care are also services provided by the vascular team.
The team’s goal is to consistently give patients the highest quality care and services using state-of-the-art technology. They are also committed to teaching patients about their disease and to showing them how to make lifestyle changes that will enhance their overall health.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair is a procedure used to treat an aneurysm (abnormal enlargement) of the abdominal aorta. Repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm may be performed surgically through an open incision or in a minimally invasive procedure called endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).
Endarterectomy
This is an operation to remove or bypass the fatty deposits, or blockage, in an artery narrowed by the buildup of fatty tissue. By doing this, normal blood flow is restored to the part of the body supplied by the artery.
Vein stripping
When a vein is diseased from ankle to groin, surgical removal, called vein stripping, is needed. Eliminating a vein poses no long-term problem, since there are many others that can take over for those that are removed. During the operation, the vascular surgeon makes small incisions in the upper thigh and the area over the varicose vein. An instrument called a stripper is inserted through the incision in the thigh and tunneled to the incision over the vein. The vein is then pulled out, and the incisions are closed with thread.
