Vascular medicine

Who is it for?

Especially in patients who:

• suffer from diabetes
• higher cholesterol
• smoking family history of cardiovascular disease

Which examinations?

Maria Middelares General Hospital has a Vascular Laboratory where the following tests are performed:

• Arterial and venous duplex examination (upper and lower limbs)
• duplex examination of the cervical vessels
• duplex examination of surgical reconstructions
• treadmill test with ECG monitoring.

Vascular problems are diagnosed and the need for additional research is considered through these tests (CT or an MRI scan).

Which ailments?

• Constriction of the blood vessels
  • Leg artery (intermittent claudication)
  • Pelvic artery (intermittent claudication)
  • Carotid artery (cerebral infarction)
  • Abdominal artery (abdominal pain)
  • Renal artery (high blood pressure, poor kidney function)
• Dilation of the blood vessels (aneurysms)
  • Thoracic aorta (large body artery in the thoracic cavity)
  • Abdominal aorta (large body artery in the abdominal cavity)
  • Side branches of the aorta (abdominal arteries, pelvis and bone arteries)
• Tearing of the blood vessels (aortic dissections)
• Vascular access for haemodialysis (AV fistulae, dialysis catheters) and chemotherapy (port-a-cath)
• Varicose veins (stripping and laser treatment)

Vascular diseases can be treated with medication, minimally invasive endovascular surgery (treatment with a balloon or stent), access surgery or traditional open surgery (bypass, artificial vessel).

At Maria Middelares General Hospital, more than 75% of the vascular procedures performed are minimally invasive. Examples include stents in the leg, pelvis and carotid arteries, endoprostheses in the abdominal or thoracic artery for aneurysms.

Multidisciplinary treatment

Vascular diseases are the result of several factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, hereditary and smoking). In consultation with your GP, the Vascular Centre ensures that the treatment of the vascular problem focuses on all the causes of your vascular disease. You may be referred to a cardiologist, endocrinologist, nephrologist, dietitian or podiatrist.