What is Vascular Surgery ?

What is Vascular Surgery, and what do Vascular Surgeons do ?

Vascular Surgery is the specialty in medicine and surgery that looks after all the major blood vessels (arteries and veins) in the body, other than the coronary or heart arteries (these are looked after by Cardiac Surgeons)

Vascular surgeons are specialists and experts in the diagnosis, investigation and management of diseases of the blood vessels throughout the body.

We manage problems with your blood vessels anywhere from the level of the base of the skull down to the feet in all parts of the body (neck, arms, legs, chest and abdomen, legs and feet).

We are also experts in the treatment of other complex problems such as diabetic foot ulcers, aneurysms (ballooning of the blood vessels) in the chest and abdomen, and narrowing of blood vessels leading to problems with walking (claudication) and what is called limb ischaemia (lack of blood to tissues).

We use a variety of techniques and treatments from conservative treatments such as stockings and medical treatment, through to balloon and stenting treatment of narrowing of the artery, and treatment of aneurysms with minimally invasive techniques. We are also extensively trained and experienced in treating patients with open or traditional surgical techniques where less invasive treatments are either not likely to succeed or are not suitable for technical reasons.

Vascular surgeons trained by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons are also experienced in all aspects of diagnostic imaging including interpretation of ultrasound, CT and MRI scans. We are also skilled in the utilization of angiography for what is called “invasive imaging” as part of diagnosis and treatment of all vascular problems.

We are trained and experienced in discussing all the aspects of your care, from which medications are most appropriate to help manage your disease, and what the conservative or operative options are. We are able to offer you concise and impartial advice about what these options are and give you the opportunity to ask us questions to clarify your understanding about your disease.