Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
Diagnosis
After obtaining a detailed history and reviewing symptoms, the physician examines the legs and feet, and orders appropriate tests or procedures to evaluate the vascular system. Diagnostic tests and procedures may include:
- Blood...
pressure and pulses—pressure measurements are taken in the arms and legs. Pulses are measured in the arms, armpits, wrists, groin, ankles, and behind the knees to determine where blockages may exist, since no pulse is usually felt below a blockage. - Doppler ultrasonography—direct measurement of blood flow and rates of flow, sometimes performed in conjunction with stress testing (tests that incorporate an exercise component).
- Angiography—an x ray procedure that provides clear images of the affected arteries before surgery is performed.
- Blood tests—routine tests such as cholesterol and glucose, as well as tests to help identify other causes of narrowed arteries, such as inflammation, thoracic outlet syndrome, high homocycteine levels, or arteritis.
- Spiral computed tomography (CT angiography) or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)—less invasive forms of angiography.
Preparation
If not done earlier in the diagnostic process, ultrasonography or angiography procedures may be performed when the patient is admitted to the hospital. These tests help the physician evaluate the amount of plaque and exact location of the narrowing or obstruction. Any underlying medical condition, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes is treated prior to bypass surgery to help obtain the best surgical result. Regular medications, such as blood pressure drugs or diuretics, may be discontinued in some patients. Routine pre-operative blood and urine tests are performed when the patient is admitted to the hospital.
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This animation describes percutaneous coronary interventions or PCIs. This procedure actually encompasses a number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as angioplasty or balloon angioplasty. As the video describes, a catheter is inserted into the blood vessels and maneuvered into placed at the diseased portion of the coronary artery. A small balloon is inflated which opens the blocked artery. In most cases a coronary artery stent is left at the site to hold open the coronary artery.
In this femoropopliteal bypass, a portion of the saphenous vein can be removed and used to bypass a portion of a diseased artery. To accomplish this, an incision is made down the inside of the leg (A). The saphenous vein is tied off from its tributaries and removed (B). An incision is made in the recipient artery (C), and the vein is stitched to it at the top and bottom of the leg (D). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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Other Information
A peripheral vascular bypass, also called a lower extremity bypass, is the surgical rerouting of blood flow around an obstructed artery that supplies blood to the legs and feet. This surgery is performed when the buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) in an artery has blocked the normal flow of blood that carries oxygen and nutrients to the lower extremities. Bypass surgery reroutes blood from above the obstructed portion of an artery to another vessel below the obstruction.
From http://www.answers.com/topic/peripheral-vascular-bypass-surgery
Other Information
We are trying to balance those kinds of losses with the profitable side of business, which includes doing more cardiac surgeries. An emphasis has been placed on cardiac care because the medium age of residents is increasing, and more people are showing up with symptoms of heart disease.
-Kevin M. Spiegel
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