“Excluding the brain and the heart, a general vascular surgeon operates on any vessels on the periphery of the body including the arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels such as the legs, arms and abdomen,” says Dr Jason Toniolo, Surgeon and Director of The Art of Vein Care
“The responsibilities tasked to a vascular surgeon include assessing patients with vascular problems, performing ultrasounds and angiography and treating vein and artery conditions through minimally invasive or open surgeries.
He says vascular surgeons also provide lifestyle advice on diet, exercise, and medications for many conditions including stroke prevention and leg ulcers.
“Conditions you would see a vascular surgeon for include vein disease (varicose veins), aortic aneurysm, Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), Carotid Artery Disease, leg ulcers and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) also known as a blood clot.
“Some vascular surgeons also commonly perform port access for chemotherapy patients and create fistulas (a connection between an artery and a vein) for dialysis patients.”
What about the neurosurgeon?
“When it comes to the vessels of the brain, this is usually the domain of the neurosurgeon and the vascular conditions you would see a neurosurgeon for include aneurysm clipping (in the brain), arteriovenous malformation repairs and other vascular surgeries related to brain blood vessels,” says Dr Toniolo.
A cardiothoracic/cardiac surgeon on the other hand operates on diseases of the heart or lungs and this includes vessels directly connected to the heart.
Conditions that a cardiothoracic surgeon treats includes heart attack (myocardial infarction), coronary artery disease (artery blockage), leaking heart valve, regurgitating heart valve, valvular stenosis (blocked or narrowed valves), heart failure and left ventricular aneurysm (stretched heart muscle).
Finally, a cardiologist performs minimally invasive cardiac procedures such as angiogram, rather than large open surgeries.
“The cardiologist is a physician who specialises in assessing and diagnosing symptoms of the heart such as chest pain, dizziness and shortness of breath as well as the management of conditions such as hypertension, cholesterol and abnormal heart rhythms. They tend to perform some minimally invasive surgical procedures but not big open surgeries.”
Worried about a vascular issue? Need a bulk-billed vascular scan for arterial conditions in Wollongong or Gregory Hills Go to www.theartofveincare.com.au or call 02 4601 1055.
All procedures have risks. *Bulk billing not for varicose veins or spider veins.
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