Vascular Medicine
Below you will find more information on our non-invasive vascular medicine and our endovascular medicine services and treatments.
NON-INVASIVE VASCULAR MEDICINE
At King’s our Cardiology Department uses several non-invasive tests and techniques to diagnose and treat vascular diseases. These include:
- Carotid Duplex
- Ultrasound of upper and lower extremities
- Abdominal aorta ultrasound
- Renal artery ultrasound
- Lower extremity venous evaluation 2D Echocardiogram
More information on these tests is displayed below:
CAROTID DUPLEX
You’re carotid arteries located in the neck supply blood directly to the brain. A Carotid Duplex is a painless ultrasound scan that uses sound waves to create images of the inside of the blood vessels that indicate how well blood is flowing through the carotid arteries.
ULTRASOUND OF UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES
An upper and lower extremity ultrasound is conducted to find out if a patient has a blood clot in their arms or legs.
ABDOMINAL AORTA ULTRASOUND
An abdominal ultrasound is done to screen for an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is a weakened bulging spot in the abdominal aorta. The abdominal aorta is the major blood vessel that supplies blood to the body.
RENAL ARTERY ULTRASOUND
This type of ultrasound looks at the size and shape of the kidneys and the blood vessels. An abnormality in the kidney blood supply, such as a narrowing of the renal arteries can be a potential cause of high blood pressure (hypertension) in patients.
LOWER EXTREMITY VENOUS EVALUATION 2D ECHOCARDIOGRAM
Lower extremity venous ultrasounds produce images of veins in the legs to search for blood clots, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis.
Endovascular Intervention Services
Endovascular intervention is an alternative, far less invasive procedure used to treat conditions that affect blood vessels such as aneurysms (swelling or ballooning of the blood vessel) by King’s Cardiovascular Department.
Endovascular intervention involves making a small incision near each hip to access the blood vessels. An endovascular graft, which is a special fabric tube device framed with stainless steel self-expanding stents, is inserted through the arteries in a catheter, and positioned inside the aorta. Once in place, the graft expands and seals off the aneurysm. The graft remains in the aorta permanently.
The advantages of endovascular intervention include:
- Shorter recovery times
- Less discomfort
- Use of local or regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia
- Smaller incisions,
- Less stress on the heart
Some of the Endovascular Interventions we perform at King’s include:
Peripheral Angiogram
A peripheral angiogram test uses x-rays and dye to help doctors identify narrowed or blocked arteries that supply blood to your legs. Depending on the observations your Doctor will decide if a procedure is needed to open any blockage.
Varicose Vein Treatment (Endovenous Ablation of Varicose Veins)
Varicose vein is a common condition that usually affects the lower extremities. In some cases it needs to be treated. The commonly used technique is laser treatment. New minimally invasive techniques use the latest available technology involving closing the dilating veins by using a special glue.
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