Heart & Vascular Care

Vascular Care

Fatty plaque build-up in the body’s blood vessels – known as vascular disease – can lead to serious disability, stroke, aneurysms, or even death. Vascular disease often has no symptoms but can be easily detected and often effectively treated.

At The Heart and Vascular Care Center and the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory at White Memorial, a team of cardiologists, neurologists, radiologists, and vascular surgeons provide screenings and treatment with the latest technology. They specialize in angiography, angioplasty, venography, repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, carotid endarterectomy, and peripheral vascular disease procedures.

In order to achieve accurate diagnoses and excellent outcomes, our team of vascular specialists works closely together to evaluate each patient and refer the patient to the appropriate specialist if follow-up treatment is needed. Our vascular care program provides screenings, diagnostic testing and treatment of vascular disease.

Types of Vascular Disease

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
An aneurysm is a swelling of a blood vessel, usually from plaque buildup. AAA is an aneurysm that forms on the abdominal aorta, the body’s largest blood vessel. This weakened area can eventually tear or rupture, resulting in serious internal bleeding or death. If an AAA ruptures, the mortality rate is as high as 80 percent, with many people not surviving long enough to reach a hospital. For more information about AAA, visit our Patient Education webpages.

Carotid Artery Disease
This occurs when the arteries in the neck become blocked with plaque. If the blockage is serious enough, blood flow to the brain is compromised and stroke may occur. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the U.S., and the third-leading cause of death. For more information about Carotid Artery Disease, visit our Patient Education webpages.

Peripheral Vascular Disease
This disease affects the vessels that pump blood to the arms and legs. This occurs when plaque buildup causes a blockage in these arteries. If not treated early, it can lead to serious disability, or even amputation. For more information about Peripheral Vascular Disease, visit our Patient Education webpages.

The Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory

The non-invasive Vascular Lab at The Heart and Vascular Care Center at White Memorial uses the latest technology available to conduct screenings and diagnosis of vascular disease. Exams are cost-effective and covered by Medicare and other insurance. White Memorial also offers many free community screenings for vascular disease.

Non-invasive vascular exams are quick, painless and easy on the patient. They usually involve ultrasound examinations or the Ankle Brachial Index exam, which uses blood pressure cuffs on the arms and ankles to measure the pressure of blood flow to arm and leg vessels.

Each patient receives a thorough evaluation, which includes a comprehensive health history, vascular exam, and a personalized discussion of risk factors and risk factor management. Services provided by the non-invasive Vascular Lab include:

• Carotid Duplex Scan
• Peripheral Arterial Duplex Exams
• Peripheral Venous Duplex Exams
• Renal, Mesenteric, Aortic Duplex Exams
• Hemodialysis Graft Duplex Evaluations
• Peripheral Arterial and Venous Physiologic Exams
• Transcutaneous O2 Measurements

Vascular Disease Treatments and Procedures

Once vascular disease has been detected, there are several treatment options available. The type of treatment depends on each person’s individual diagnosis. The treatments include:

Interventional Radiology
Interventional Radiology can be an alternative to surgery for some people. Various technologies are used to open blocked arteries and veins.

Revascularization Techniques
These techniques include carotid angioplasty, in which a balloon and stent are inserted into the carotid artery in the neck to promote blood flow around the blockage. The same technique may be used for peripheral vascular disease. A balloon catheter is inserted into the blocked artery, and the balloon is inflated inside the artery so blood flow can resume. A vascular stent is inserted to hold the artery open. These procedures are performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. For more information about these techniques, visit our Patient Education webpages.

Vascular Surgery
Surgery is often needed to treat an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA). The surgery repairs the artery wall. Surgery is also sometimes needed to treat carotid artery disease, particularly when treatment with a stent has not been successful. The carotid artery is opened and repaired with sutures or a graft. Surgery may also be needed to treat more severe cases of peripheral vascular disease. It usually consists of bypassing the blockage in a peripheral blood vessel to restore blood flow.

View a complete list of our Vascular Care Services...

More Information

For more information about our services, call The Heart and Vascular Care Center at White Memorial at (888) 488-1288.