Minimally Invasive Vascular Procedures

Physicians at Baptist may use minimally invasive techniques to treat a number of conditions affecting the cardiovascular system.

Aortic aneurysm

This condition occurs when the wall of the aorta become weakened and thin. Blood coursing through the vessel causes the aorta to "balloon" out in the thinned area. If left untreated, the vessel may rupture causing severe bleeding. A ruptured aneurysm is a medical emergency and is frequently fatal.

Arteriosclerosis

Commonly called hardening of the arteries, this chronic disease occurs when fatty deposits of plaque accumulate in the lining of blood vessel, narrowing the opening and restricting blood flow.

• If the restriction is located in the carotid arteries, blood flow to the brain occurs causing a stroke.
• If the restriction is located in arteries in the legs, a condition called peripheral vascular disease, leading to pain, restricted mobility, skin ulceration and eventually gangrene in the legs and feet.

In minimally invasive surgeries for vascular conditions, physicians use endovascular techniques and cardiac catheterization. Endovascular refers to surgery that is performed within a blood vessel. The surgeon inserts a catheter into a blood vessel-usually the femoral artery in the groin-and using x-ray images, guides it to the affected artery for treatment.

Minimally invasive vascular procedures at Baptist include:

Aortic aneurysm surgery with endograft

In this procedure, performed to repair the weakened area of the aorta, surgeons use endovascular techniques to place a graft within diseased vessel to "patch" it, relieving pressure on the weak area.

Balloon angioplasty and stents

To open blocked arteries, surgeons advance a catheter through the artery to the narrowed area. Then, a small balloon is inflated, opening the channel. To support the newly-widened vessel, surgeon insert a stent, a mesh-like tube that acts as scaffolding within the artery. The balloon is then deflated and removed.

Carotid endarterectomy

To treat blocked carotid arteries, a surgeon makes an incision along the neck, opens the affected artery and remove the plaque causing the blockage.

Learn about the treatment of Vascular Diseases at Baptist.