The surgical procedures to treat vascular diseases depend on the type and severity of the disorder. Narayana Health follows a multidisciplinary approach to offer holistic treatment, apart from thoracic and vascular surgery.

Lifestyle Changes

Making changes in lifestyle choices and habits is the first step to dealing with vascular diseases. Quitting smoking, regularly exercising, following a healthy and low-cholesterol diet, and controlling diabetes are recommended.

Medications

The vascular doctor may prescribe medications, depending on the disease. Usually, medications are used to manage cholesterol and platelet function.

Minimally invasive endovascular treatment options

Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR): This is a minimally invasive procedure used for the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms. It can be incisionless, although a small incision is usually made in the groin to advance a catheter, followed by a stent graft to treat the aneurysm.
Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: The process is like TEVAR and is used to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Fenestrated Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: A small incision is made in the groin to place a stent-graft and preserve blood flow to the kidneys, intestines, stomach and liver.
Angioplasty and Stenting: Here, a catheter-guided balloon is used to open a narrowed artery. Angioplasty and stenting are effective treatments for cerebrovascular, vertebrobasilar and peripheral arterial diseases.
Percutaneous or laser atherectomy: In this procedure, the surgeon inserts a specialised catheter into a blocked artery to remove atherosclerotic plaque build-up within the blood vessel.

Surgical Treatments

Open Abdominal Aortic Surgery: An abdominal incision is made to access the abdominal aorta, and a fabric graft is fixed to treat conditions like abdominal aortic aneurysm and aortoiliac occlusive disease.
Bypass surgery: This vascular operation redirects blood flow around an area of blockage. The graft can either come from the patient's vein or be made of a synthetic material. This procedure treats vertebrobasilar, peripheral arterial, renal vascular and mesenteric vascular diseases.
Open Carotid and Femoral Endarterectomy: The plaque build-up on the inner lining of an artery is surgically removed with this vascular surgery. The procedure is used to treat cerebrovascular, peripheral arterial and vertebrobasilar diseases.

Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Vascular Diseases

Diagnosis of vascular diseases may include:

A physical examination of the affected area.
For peripheral artery disease, a comparison of blood pressure on the arms and ankles is done.
Ultrasound scanning helps the doctor check the blood vessels for blockages or other problems.
Angiography is a common way of diagnosing vascular issues. Here, a dye is injected into the blood vessels. MRA or CTA scanning is then used to view the blood vessels and check whether blood flow is normal. An angiogram involves inserting a catheter up to the affected part of the blood vessel. A dye is injected so that the vascular doctor can check for blockages. Balloon angioplasty is commonly used to open the blood vessel, and a stent may be inserted to prevent constriction of the blood vessel.
Blood tests for cholesterol and triglyceride help evaluate the overall health of the patient.
Tests may also be conducted on the heart, lungs, kidneys and digestive system since vascular diseases can affect the functioning of any of these organs.

The treatment for vascular diseases can involve:

Medication, known as statins, lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of strokes due to a blockage.
Medication to control blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Blood thinners and other medication to improve blood flow and reduce the risk of clot formation.
Angioplasty is a treatment where a balloon is used to open a blocked artery, and a stent is fixed to ensure it remains open. This is done when there is significant arterial blockage.
If there are blood clots, medication is given to break and dissolve them.

In some cases, surgery may be needed. Vascular or thoracic surgery is usually required when there are too many blockages or if medication and other treatments do not yield the desired results.

The different types of surgery include:

Thrombectomy is a procedure in which a balloon catheter is inserted beyond the clot and then expanded and pulled back to bring out the clot.
Resection is a procedure where a diseased artery is removed, and a bypass is done using a synthetic artery.
Aortobifemoral bypass is used to treat peripheral artery disease.
Varicose veins can be treated using surgery.

Vascular diseases can be prevented through lifestyle changes. Following a healthy lifestyle reduces the risks of arterial blockages and other problems in the vascular system. Some measures are:

Stopping smoking because smoking is a primary contributor to some vascular diseases.
Ensuring a healthy, low-fat diet with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Exercising is important to keep the circulatory system in good working condition. It also helps reduce weight, and control blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
Proper care of the hands and feet is needed as some vascular conditions to prevent gangrene.
Regular health checkups can ensure that problems are detected at an early stage.

Thoracic And Vascular Surgery