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Vascular Diseases
Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death in the western world. In Australia today there is an increasing elderly population with significant manifestations of atherosclerotic occlusive and aneurysmal disease.
FAQs
Vascular surgery is a specialty of surgery in which diseases of the vascular system, or arteries and veins, are managed. Vascular Surgery is predominantly focused on limiting the progression of vascular diseases, and on the prevention of loss of life, limbs, and strokes, and to improve the quality of life for patients.
Aortic Aneurysms
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) exists when the aorta exceeds 3.0cm in maximum diameter (or dilatation greater than 50% the diameter of the native vessel), and other peripheral aneurysms may co-exist. Symptomatic patients with abdominal or back pain, rapidly expanding aneurysms, and large aneurysms over 5.0 to 5.5 cm in men, (and perhaps at smaller sizes in women), are at significant risk of rupture and should be considered for surgery.
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs in approximately 12% of the adult population over 50 years, and this incidence increases as one gets older. The most common presentation of mild to moderate lower limb PAD is intermittent claudication, or pain in the calf muscle or legs with walking. Patients with claudication have a severely impaired functional status and lower quality of life score; equivalent to moderate to severe heart failure. Patients with PAD are at a significantly higher risk of death, myocardial infarction and stroke, and a four- to six-fold increased mortality.
Up to 9% of the population over the age of 75 years will have a a narrowing of the carotid artery (which supplies blood to the brain) of 50% or greater. The relationship between the severity of stenosis and the risk of stroke is well established. The single most important issue for symptomatic carotid interventions is rapid treatment as a greater proportion of patients will die or suffer permanent disability through delayed interventions. All patients with high grade asymptomatic carotid stenosis and those with neurological symptoms should be referred for vascular assessment.
Carotid Artery Disease
Venous Disease
Varicose veins are tortuous and dilated veins in legs due to leaky or incompetent valves. If untreated may lead to severe symptoms, clots, skin change and ulcers. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) are clots in the deep veins that may lead to debilitating symptoms and may be a threat to life.
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