Type of Surgery
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Last updated: 02/17/2009
The risks associated with peripheral endarterectomy primarily involve the underlying conditions that led to blockage of arteries in the first place. Embolism is the most serious post-operative risk; a clot or piece of tissue from the endarterectomy...
site that may travel to the heart, brain, or lungs can cause heart attack, stroke, or death. Restenosis, the continuing build-up of plaque, can occur within months to years after surgery if risk factors are not controlled. Other complications may include:
- reactions to anesthesia
- breathing difficulties
- changes in blood pressure
- nerve injury
- post-operative bleeding
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A peripheral endarterectomy is the surgical removal of fatty deposits, called plaque, from the walls of arteries other than those of the heart and brain. The surgery is performed when plaque blocks an artery and obstructs the flow of blood and oxygen to other parts of the body, most commonly the legs but also the arms, kidneys, or intestines. The peripheral arteries most often treated with endarterectomy are those that supply the legs, especially the aortoiliac arteries in the pelvic area. Other arteries that may be treated with endarterectomy include the femoral arteries in the groin, the renal arteries that supply the kidneys, and the superior mesenteric arteries that supply the intestines.
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If you need heart surgery, you don't want a surgeon who only got a C in medical school. The same principle applies in helping people with mental illnesses.
-Ken Duckworth
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