Outcomes 2016 - Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital FY 2016 | Page 54

Peripher al Artery Disease/Peripher al Vascular Disease
LOWER EXTREMITY PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE
While the incidence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is on the rise, lower
extremity disease can be especially serious and challenging. Narrowing of
the arteries can restrict blood circulation to the legs and feet, resulting in
pain, weakness and other issues including ulcers and hard-to-heal wounds.
Vascular surgeons on the medical staff at Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton
Heart and Vascular Hospital see patients from throughout North Texas and
the nation. Initially using a conservative approach to treatment, the vascular
surgeons may recommend lifestyle changes coupled with medications. If
these approaches are not effective, intervention may be required. Vascular
surgeons on the medical staff may perform an angioplasty, place a stent or
perform a bypass. In other cases, the vascular surgeon may opt for using a
thrombolytic agent to dissolve a blot clot that may be blocking an artery.
The vascular surgeons on the medical staff at Baylor Hamilton Heart and
Vascular Hospital possess the experience and expertise to select the most
appropriate procedure tailored to each individual patient’s needs.
Atherosclerosis of the peripheral arteries
– peripheral artery disease (PAD) or
peripheral vascular disease (PVD) – is
a growing health issue in America.
Vascular surgeons on the medical staff
of Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular
Hospital successfully diagnose and treat
thousands of patients annually for PAD
and PVD issues. Using advanced digital
imaging technology, minimally invasive
surgical techniques and pharmacological
approaches, the experience of vascular
surgeons on the medical staff at Baylor
Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital
extends to conditions such as:
• Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
• Intestinal Ischemic Syndrome
• Renovascular occlusive disease
• Popliteal Entrapment Syndrome
• Vasospastic disorders
• Inflammatory vascular disease
• Hypercoagulable states
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Pulmonary embolism
• Axillo-subclavian vein thrombosis
• Superficial thrombophlebitis
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Vascular surgeons on the medical staff often treat patients with circulatory
disorders related to May-Thurner’s Syndrome and other venous obstructive
disorders. Patients come from throughout the region as a result of the
surgeons’ experience with complex patients and involvement in world-wide
clinical trials.
THREATENED LIMB RESEARCH
With more than an annual incidence of 1,000 cases per million, critical
limb ischemia (CLI) can seriously impair a patient’s life. It is also known to
be associated with a greater risk for cardiovascular mortality. Patients are
often at a very high risk of limb loss or even death in the setting of severe
blockage in the lower extremity arterial system. Over the past few years,
the vascular surgeons on the medical staff at Baylor Hamilton Heart and
Vascular Hospital have continued to participate in research on alternative
treatments; using new technology and strategies and is one of the few sites
worldwide evaluating the use of bone marrow-derived stems cells for critical
limb ischemia. Results of the clinical trials have resulted in likely benefit in
the prevention of limb loss. In the coming year, additional research findings
will be published as the work continues for CLI patients.
VASCULAR INTERVENTION FOR VEINS
Whether complex vein procedures or simple cosmetic concerns related to
veins, the vascular surgeons on the medical staff are sought for the care
and treatment of problematic venous disorders. With an assessment of
the venous system using duplex ultrasound in the non-invasive vascular
lab at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital, venous flow and
hemodynamics may be accurately and painlessly assessed. Surgical methods
including vein stripping and stab phlebectomy, minimally invasive ablation,
laser treatment, and sclerotherapy are available for vascular surgeons on the
medical staff to determine the best treatment for individual patients.