Maryland Vascular Specialists Answer Your Most Common Vascular Questions
Maryland Vascular Specialists treat thousands of patients each year with complex and health-threatening conditions. Many of our patients come to us with questions about what we do, and we find ourselves answering several of the same questions.
Here is a little more about what we do at MVS.
What Do Vascular Specialists Do?
Vascular specialists, like the ones at Maryland Vascular Specialists, are surgical specialists (doctors and surgeons) who take care of conditions related to the vascular system. This includes your veins and arteries located throughout your body. Our specialty involves circulation to the legs, brain, abdomen, chest and arms.
Our services differ from cardiology, which focuses on the heart itself. Instead, we focus on the network of vessels that transport blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Without a healthy vascular system, you might experience many health problems.
What Kind Of Conditions Do Vascular Specialists Care For?
Any condition which may involve the arteries and/or vascular system is a condition that calls for a vascular specialist. Some of the most common vascular conditions we treat at MVS include:
- Aneurysms
- Arterial Blockages
- Atherosclerosis
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Dialysis Access
- Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Renal Artery Stenosis
- Stroke
- Varicose Veins
These are only some of the vascular conditions people experience. Your doctor may refer you to a vascular specialist for any of these conditions and many more.
What Type Of Procedures Do Vascular Specialists Use?
After being referred to a vascular specialist, patients will typically go through testing to learn more about their condition. Once testing is performed, your specialist will recommend the next steps, including medication, exercises, and sometimes surgical procedures.
These may include:
- Basal Procedures: Intravenous and intra arterial surgeries are often done using a catheter system. Surgeons will make a tiny incision and feed a catheter through your vessels to intervene on the affected vessel.
- Management & Prevention: If caught early, a vascular specialist might work with you to come up with a management plant. This might include regular visits to a specialist, medication, and dietary and exercise plans..
- Revascularization: This procedure involves restoring parts of the arterial system which have been damaged due to atherosclerosis.
- Vascular Testing: Vascular testing is performed to chronologically follow a patient’s exact vascular issue.
How Do I Know If I Have A Vascular Issue?
The only way to know for sure if you have a vascular issue is to regularly schedule visits to your primary care provider. Although most PCPs are not vascular specialists, they do know how to spot potential vascular issues. Additionally, regular visits will help your provider better understand you, as a patient, and help them notice changes in your vascular health.
If you have concerns about your vascular health, visit your primary healthcare provider or schedule an appointment at Maryland Vascular Specialists.
Sources:
https://vascular.org/
https://vascular.org/patients/what-vascular-surgeon