Vascular Conditions
Vascular disorders affect the veins and arteries in your body that bring oxygen to every living cell. Think of your veins and your lungs as expressways or rivers. When traffic congestion or road building occurs, or when the dams burst, trouble arises. In most cases, however, vascular disorders are incredibly treatable, even without surgery.
Everything you need, all in one place
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Chronic Venous Disease
Varicose Veins
What is Vascular Conditions?
Vascular surgeons will speak to you about how exercise, diet, and medicine will be the first step in your recovery. When surgery is required, vascular surgeons are qualified in all types of procedures, not just one or two. At Evolve Medical Salt Lake, we think a physician's job should be to listen to patients. They should be in tune with their patient's health, provide the best information and treatment options available based on our knowledge and experience, and then do whatever possible to best support patient decisions.
See Our Interventional Care & Treatments
Peripheral Arterial (Vascular) Disease (or PAD/PVD)
Chronic Venous Disease
Varicose Veins
People mostly know varicose veins as the large, bumpy veins seen snaking down the leg. These enlarged veins are caused when the valves in the veins–that help move the blood from the feet back upward toward the heart—don’t work properly. This causes blood to pool in that area, causing the varicose veins to grow.
For many people, the only problem with varicose veins is cosmetic: they don’t like the way it looks.
For some, however, the varicose veins cause aching pain and discomfort, bruising, heavy and itchy legs, and swelling.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Common symptoms include:
- Pain in the leg, foot or calf
- Swelling in the leg
- Tenderness
- Warm skin
Arterial Treatments
Atherectomy
Atherectomy is a non-surgical procedure to remove the plaque and calcium deposits that sometimes block arteries.
Through a small incision, your physician places a catheter into the blocked artery. This catheter has a small device with a tiny, rotating blade or spinning crown which is advanced through the plaque in your artery.
The device is then activated, which removes the plaque off the artery wall. Once the procedure is complete, the artery flow is restored, without the need for invasive surgery.
Angiography
Angiography is an X-ray exam of the arteries or veins to diagnose blockages and other blood vessel problems.
During the angiogram, an interventional specialist inserts a thin tube–known as a catheter–into the artery through a small incision in the skin (about the size of the tip of a pencil). A liquid called contrast (X-ray dye) is injected to make the blood vessels visible on the X-ray.
Angioplasty
Angioplasty is a minimally-invasive vascular procedure that opens up blocked veins or arteries. Often associated with the coronary artery in the heart, angioplasty can be used throughout the body to open blood flow. For example, it is often used to restore blood flow in blocked leg arteries.
Stent Placement
Interventional Radiologists restore blood flow to various arteries or organs using a stent. Stents are metal mesh structures that expand to open arteries. Stents are placed when X-Ray guidance helps identify the blocked artery. Once done, the metal stent is deployed, restoring flow.
A small incision is made in the skin through which a small wire is directed into the blocked artery. A deflated balloon is then passed over the initial wire, and when the deflated balloon gets to the blockage it is inflated. A metal structure called a stent is placed in the blockage to keep the artery walls open.
Once the stent is in place, the balloon is deflated and the catheter is removed.
