Comprehensive vascular treatment

For patients diagnosed with vascular disease, Norton Heart Care and Norton Suburban offer a number of treatment options from medical treatment to minimally invasive procedures to advanced surgical care. Some procedures offered include:

Aortic stent graft 

An aneurysm is caused when the lining in the wall of the aorta becomes weak, resulting in an abnormal ballooning or enlargement. In this procedure, a stent graft is placed inside an aneurysm so that the blood in the aorta flows through the stent graft, isolating the aneurysm from circulation. This helps prevent continued pressure and possible rupture on the weakened aneurysm area.

Carotid stent

Ischemic stroke is the most common form of stroke, and it usually is caused by plaque plugging an artery. As a person ages, plaque builds up in the arteries, causing them to narrow. The carotid arteries carry blood to the brain and are located on either side of the neck. Plaque buildup in the carotid arteries is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke. The placement of a carotid stent may help correct this problem. A stent is a tiny mesh tube used to widen arteries that have narrowed due to plaque buildup. Carotid artery stenting is similar to stenting done to treat heart disease. A doctor guides a catheter containing a stent through a leg artery up to the neck. To catch pieces of plaque that may break off during the procedure, a tiny net embolic protection device is deployed first. The stent is placed in the correct position in the neck, and then the catheter and net are withdrawn. The stent expands, pressing and holding the blocked material against the artery wall. The stent keeps the artery open, restoring adequate blood flow.

Iliac stent

The aorta is the largest artery in the body, and it carries blood away from the heart. Just beneath the navel in the abdomen, the aorta splits into the two iliac arteries, which carry blood into each leg. When the iliac arteries reach the groin, they split again to become the femoral arteries. Arteries are normally smooth and unobstructed on the inside, but as a person ages, these arteries can become blocked with plaque through a process called atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. As more plaque builds up, the arteries narrow and stiffen. Eventually, if enough plaque builds up, blood flow to the leg arteries is reduced. When the arteries in the legs become blocked, the legs do not receive enough blood or oxygen and develop a condition called claudication (leg artery disease). One treatment for leg artery disease is angioplasty and stenting. A long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a small puncture over an artery in the groin. The catheter is guided through the arteries to the blocked area. Once in place, a special balloon that is attached to the catheter is inflated and deflated several times, pushing the plaque against the artery walls and widening the vessel. A tiny mesh-metal tube called a stent is then placed into the narrowed area of the artery to keep it open. The stent remains in the artery permanently. After this procedure, blood flows more freely through the artery. Considered a type of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), leg artery disease can cause discomfort or pain when walking. Left untreated, this disease carries a risk for limb amputation, heart attack and stroke.

Atherectomy 

Plaque is a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances in an artery’s lining. Atherectomy is a minimally invasive procedure used to remove plaque, thus increasing blood flow. A catheter is inserted through a tiny puncture site in the leg and is advanced through the artery to the site of the blockage. A tiny rotating blade inside the catheter shaves away plaque from inside the artery. As it is excised, the plaque collects in the tip of the device and then is removed from the patient. This procedure has helped alleviate severe leg pain for thousands of patients.