Every day, people come across different types of illnesses involving blood vessels. The heart pump is one of the essential organs in our body, ensuring excellent and healthy blood flow throughout the body. Depending on the type of illness or disease, you should approach a vascular specialist. They can make use of medicine and surgery for this purpose. Consultation with a Plano board certified vein and vascular specialist is required for people facing heart problems like coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, and congenital heart defects. A vascular specialist (vascular surgeon) treats diseases related to the blood vessels. A vascular surgeon can provide treatment options for conditions like aneurysms, carotid artery disease, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and pulmonary embolism (PE). These specialists perform surgery on various parts of the body, but particularly in the legs and neck. They also treat peripheral artery disease (PAD) mainly in arteries of the legs using balloon angioplasty or stents. Below are some other conditions that you may need to visit a vascular specialist for.
- Pulmonary Embolisms and Blood Clots
A vascular specialist diagnoses and treats pulmonary embolisms, strokes caused by blood clots, and deep vein thrombosis. These specialists treat blockages in large veins of the legs and arms using minimally invasive procedures like placing a tube called a catheter into a vein to retrieve or break up the clot. If necessary, they also treat blood clots with surgery.
A person with a pulmonary embolism will have sudden shortness of breath or chest pain, unexplained by other conditions. In some cases, a patient may cough up blood from the lungs. The diagnosis is made with tests such as an X-ray, CT scan, or an echocardiogram (ultrasound). Treatment depends on the severity of the case. But in most patients, blood thinners are prescribed to prevent further clots from forming.
- Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
A vascular specialist also treats pelvic congestion syndrome for men and women. It is a condition in which the veins in your pelvis become swollen and enlarged because of restricted blood flow. Pelvic congestion syndrome affects fertility in women, especially if varicose veins are present. There is no specific treatment for this disorder, but some physicians may prescribe pain medication, blood thinners, and other medications. In some cases, surgery may be recommended to remove or repair varicose veins if other treatments fail to improve the condition.
- Stroke
Possible symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body; confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech; vision problems, trouble walking; dizziness or loss of balance or coordination. The patient should seek immediate medical attention if they notice any of these symptoms. A vascular specialist diagnoses and treats diseases of the brain’s blood vessels, such as aneurysms and strokes. These surgeons may perform angioplasty or surgery on blocked arteries to restore normal blood flow in the brain.
To summarize, a vascular specialist specializes in treating conditions that relate to or affect the blood vessels. They deal with some primary diseases such as varicose and spider veins. Still, they also diagnose and treat more complicated problems such as stroke, pelvic congestion syndrome, pulmonary embolisms, and blood clots.
