Vascular Surgery
Maintain your vascular health by visiting a vascular surgeon at Montage Health. Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula provides both open and minimally invasive vascular procedures, ensuring you have access to the full spectrum of treatment options without having to leave Monterey County. Vascular surgeons can help relieve pain, heal wounds, reduce stroke risk, and help you feel better overall.
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You’ll need a referral from your primary care doctor to see a vascular surgeon. Need a primary care provider? Search our directory.
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Open vascular surgery
You might hear the term “open surgery” used to describe the traditional approach to vascular treatment. It uses a long incision to open your skin and give the surgeon access to your blood vessels. You receive general anesthesia to make you sleep before surgery.
The open technique leads to the longest-lasting results. So, it may limit the number of procedures you could need throughout your life.
Endovascular minimally invasive surgery
Endovascular surgery uses smaller incisions than open surgery. That allows for:
- A quicker recovery
- Less pain and scarring after surgery
- A lower risk of complications (side effects)
- Shorter hospital stays
Is endovascular surgery right for me?
Less invasive approaches can treat some conditions like aneurysms and clogged blood vessels. To decide if you’re a candidate for endovascular care, a surgeon will consider:
- Your overall health including illnesses that may make open surgery risky for you
- Your anatomy, such as the size and condition of your blood vessels
- Location of your vascular disease
Vascular procedures
Whether you have peripheral artery disease, deep vein thrombosis, or another vascular condition, you’ll benefit from Montage Health’s expert care.
Aneurysm repair
An aneurysm is a weakening of the blood vessel in a particular area. Aneurysms are prone to rupturing and can cause a life-threatening emergency. A vascular surgeon is able to prevent an aneurysm rupture that can occur throughout the body by:
- Minimally invasively placing a covered stent to the weakened area
- Replacing the weakened blood vessel with a prosthetic tube graft
Your vascular surgeon will determine the surgery that is best for you.
Opening narrowed blood vessels
To restore blood flow through blocked arteries, an endovascular surgeon may perform angioplasty. This procedure inflates a tiny balloon in a narrowed vessel to widen it. Your surgeon may also place a stent (tiny tube) to keep the artery open. The stent may be bioabsorbable, meaning it dissolves over time. Or, it may be drug-eluting, meaning it’s coated in medicine that prevents fat from clogging the artery again.
If the built-up fat deposits are too hard for a balloon to break up, your endovascular surgeon may use atherectomy instead. This procedure uses a tiny surgical drill, laser, or blade to crack the deposits, letting blood flow smoothly again.
Venous disease and swelling
A vascular surgeon can treat symptoms of venous disease. This includes varicose veins and swelling which can cause itching, heaviness, achiness, and pain. Venous disease can be treated in just a few minutes and can provide significant relief.
Treating blood clots
A vascular surgeon can treat a blood clot that blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to your organs, legs, or arms. Procedures include:
- Thrombectomy — Uses a special tool to remove the clot from the artery or vein
- Thrombolysis — Uses a catheter (thin tube) to inject medicine that breaks down the clot so it dissolves
Both procedures can prevent serious health problems that result from a lack of blood supply. So, you enjoy better overall health.
Stroke prevention
Carotid arteries send oxygenated blood from your neck up to your brain. These blood vessels can develop plaque over time which can ultimately lead to a stroke and/or sudden vision loss. Vascular surgeons can remove or treat this plaque and help reduce stroke risk with the following procedures:
- Carotid endarterectomy — Involves an incision along one side of the neck, opening the blood vessel to remove the plaque, and sewing the blood vessel back together
- Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) — Using a small incision along the collar bone, the blood flow in the brain is temporarily reversed. Using wires, balloons, and stents, the blockage is opened to create a smoother pathway for blood flow
Both procedures reduce stroke risk.
Limb preservation
Diabetes damages blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the legs or feet. This increases the risk of infection, ulcers, and even amputation. A vascular surgeon can reopen arteries to help wounds heal, saving an injured foot or leg. But if that’s not an option for you, a vascular surgeon may recommend LimFlow™. This device bypasses blocked arteries and rushes blood back into the foot in a minimally invasive way. You feel less pain and get back on your feet as soon as possible.
Other procedures
A vascular surgeon may be part of your Community Hospital care team for many conditions. For example, this specialist will:
- Create a dialysis access graft in your arm if you have kidney failure
- Ensure proper blood flow to areas of your body that need plastic surgery, reconstruction, or skin grafts
- Help protect major blood vessels during lumbar spine surgery
Hybrid operating room improves your experience
Vascular surgery takes place in a hybrid operating room (OR) at Community Hospital. This room has the technology for both open and endovascular treatments. If you need both, you can receive them in the same procedure. That means just one hospital visit and less anesthesia.
You also need a smaller injection of contrast dye because the hybrid OR has advanced imaging. Contrast dye is generally safe, but it may pose risks for some people with kidney disease.
Follow-up care
See your vascular surgery team and primary care doctor as recommended after treatment. They’ll make sure your surgery site heals, support your recovery, and monitor your health to help you stay well.
