Vascular surgery involves both endovascular therapy and vascular surgery and may be necessary to treat thrombosis, aneurysms, varicose veins and other vascular diseases.
While treatment for vascular disease varies depending on the severity and type, it is known to treat a wide range of heart and blood flow issues.
Here at Premier Vascular Center of Maryland, our Board Certified physicians care for a broad spectrum of vascular conditions, ranging from the most complex to the most common.
Your Top Source for Minimally Invasive Surgery in Baltimore
In harnessing the latest minimally invasive technologies, our vascular surgeon, Dr. Annous, is committed to helping reduce post-surgical scarring, recovery time and discomfort.
We pride ourselves on building strong patient-provider relationships and offer same-day vascular testing. We have a single vascular surgeon who serves patients throughout the treatment process, from the initial consultation and explaining vascular testing results to performing necessary procedures and following up postoperatively.
Our anesthesia provider performs all pain monitoring and control during vascular procedures and post-op, rather than a nurse or nurse anesthesiologist.
The medical team at Premier Vascular Venter of Maryland provides vascular surgery for many patients, including the following:
- Hemodialysis patients: We maintain patients’ graft or fistula patency with procedures such as angioplasty, fistulogram, stenting and de-clot, as well as insertion, exchange and removal of Hickman catheters.
- Peripheral vascular disease patients: We ensure patients’ peripheral arteries are unobstructed through procedures such as angiogram, angioplasty, atherectomy and stenting. We also place filters and perform carotid angiograms to check for obstructions or stenosis within the carotid arteries.
What Is Vascular Disease?
Vascular disease refers to any abnormal condition of the veins or arteries. The body uses blood vessels to circulate blood, and any problems that occur along this network can lead to death or severe disability.
What Is Vascular Surgery?
Vascular surgery refers to a group of different procedures to treat vascular disease. Surgeons can perform vascular surgery on the aorta, the main artery that carries blood away from the heart. Surgery also targets the veins and arteries in the arms, legs, pelvis, abdomen and neck, excluding those in the brain and heart.
Why Is Vascular Surgery Performed?
You may need vascular surgery if your condition cannot be treated with lifestyle changes or medication. A vascular surgeon may recommend implementing some lifestyle modifications, such as controlling diabetes or quitting smoking, if the condition is in the early stages.
Conditions in which vascular surgery may be needed include:
- Aneurysm.
- Blood clots.
- Vein disease.
- Carotid artery disease.
- Peripheral artery disease.
- Renal artery occlusive disease.
- Trauma including procedures to repair blood vessel damage and stop internal bleeding.
Vascular Surgery at Premier Vascular Center of Maryland
Dr. Annous performs a wide variety of vascular procedures, including minimally invasive vein surgery for venous insufficiency. We are also one of the few centers in the area to conduct thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. Our medical team can carry out several venous and arterial procedures, including surgeries such as the following:
Abdominal Angiogram
An abdominal angiogram is a test that examines the blood vessels in your abdomen and chest using X-rays. The procedure may be used to check blood flow to the spleen, liver and other organs in the abdomen. A vascular surgeon may also use an abdominal angiogram to treat cancer or bleeding in the abdomen.
The surgeon places a catheter into a large artery in your groin and then moves it into the specific artery of interest. The physician will then take a series of X-ray images to see the blood flow in the abdomen.
Carotid Angiogram
A carotid angiogram is a study of the large blood vessels in your neck, also known as your carotid arteries. These arteries transport oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your brain.
A carotid angiogram may eliminate the need for more invasive carotid stenosis surgery and helps detect problems with the blood vessels such as clots, tumors, arterial stenosis from plaque build-up, arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and aneurysms.
IVC Filter for DVT
A surgeon places an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter in the inferior vena cava vein during surgery to prevent blood clots from traveling to the lungs.
At Premier Vascular Center of Maryland, our doctors insert this device to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or a blood clot that forms in a vein deep inside the body.
Renal Artery Stenting
Renal artery stenting is a procedure to open the large blood vessels that carry blood to the kidneys, also known as the renal arteries. Stenting restores normal blood flow by opening the blockage.
Abdominal Endograft for AAA
An endograft is a fabric-covered, hollow tube surrounding a mesh metal stent. Surgeons use endografts to treat abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or swelling in the aorta because of their ability to support the weakened artery.
The team at Premier Vascular Center of Maryland performs AAA surgery outside our main facility.
The surgeon makes an incision in the abdomen for this surgery to expose the aorta before using a graft to repair the aneurysm.
Fistulogram and Thrombectomy
A fistulogram is an X-ray procedure to check for blockages such as blood clots in your fistula. A declot of arteriovenous (AV) fistula, or thrombectomy, is a procedure that removes a blood clot, also called a thrombosis, from a fistula or blood vessel.
Intravascular Venous Stent
Surgeons place stents into the veins for structural support, which requires different forms of advanced imaging, including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).
At Premier Vascular Center of Maryland, we treat chronic venous obstruction with endovenous stenting.
Hemodialysis Catheter
Hemodialysis treatment may be used when your kidneys fail and can no longer remove extra fluid from your body or clean your blood. A vascular access or hemodialysis access is a way to reach your blood for hemodialysis. Your access can be an AV fistula, AV graft or a catheter — a soft tube — placed in a large vein, usually in the neck.
At Premier Center of Maryland, we perform vascular access surgery by inserting, exchanging or removing a catheter as a hemodialysis access.
AV Fistula Creation
The vascular specialists at Premier Vascular Center of Maryland create AV fistulas — surgical connections between a vein and an artery — outside our main facility.
Fistulas are generally used for dialysis in patients with severe kidney disease.
Artery Bypass and Carotid Endarterectomy
In a bypass graft surgery, a surgeon bypasses damaged arteries using blood vessels taken from another area in your body. This procedure helps improve blood flow.
Surgeons use a carotid endarterectomy to treat carotid artery disease, which is when waxy deposits build up in the blood vessels on each side of your neck. An endarterectomy removes these desposits.
Our surgeon performs both artery bypass and carotid endarterectomy outside our main facility at Premier Vascular Center of Maryland.
What to Expect From Vascular Surgery at Premier Vascular Center of Maryland
When you come in for vascular surgery at Premier Vascular Center of Maryland, you can expect:
- An initial consultation with Dr. Annous to determine if you need to have a vascular intervention.
- Dr. Annous will explain the proposed vascular intervention and answer any questions you may have.
- After you consent to the recommended vascular intervention, our front desk receptionist will schedule your vascular surgery.
- You must not eat or drink anything on your surgery date or after midnight the evening before.
- On your surgery date, our nursing staff will welcome you and bring you back for your preoperative examination.
- Dr. Annous will meet with you a second time to get your consent and explain the procedure.
- Our anesthesiologist Dr. Rowson will meet with you to explain his role in the surgery and obtain your consent.
- You will be brought back into the operating room for your procedure.
- We will give you discharge instructions once you’ve recovered.
- We’ll schedule your postoperative appointment or further vascular intervention.
- The next day, one of our nurses will call you to ensure that you’re recovering optimally.
When Should I Call My Doctor After My Vascular Surgery?
After undergoing vascular surgery, contact your doctor if:
- You experience fever or chills.
- You experience increased pain.
- You notice drainage or bleeding from your incision site.
Book an Appointment With Premier Vascular Center of Maryland Today
At Premier Vascular Center of Maryland, our Board Certified vascular surgeon specializes in treating people with a wide range of vascular conditions.
For more information about our laboratory or the types of vascular services we offer, please reach out today.