Vascular Surgery Program

Expert vascular surgeons offering a wide variety of procedures – including minimally invasive surgeries – tailored to your specific needs.  

Vascular surgery treats diseases that affect the arteries, veins, and how blood flows through the body. Vascular surgeons perform a wide variety of procedures including both complex open surgery and minimally invasive techniques for all types of vascular conditions. You’ll benefit from an expert and compassionate team working to give you the best possible care.

Conditions We Treat

• Aortic aneurysm (a bulge in an important artery called the aorta).
• Aortic dissection (a tear in the aorta).
• Carotid artery disease.
• Reducing the risk of limb loss for people with peripheral artery disease, diabetes or venous stasis ulcers.
• Deep vein thrombosis.
• Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), a rare condition that happens when a band of connective tissue in the chest compresses the celiac artery and nerves.
• Narrowing of the arteries in the kidneys.

Treatments and Services

We offer a wide variety of treatments for vascular conditions including:

• Carotid endarterectomy to treat carotid artery disease.
• Carotid angioplasty and stenting to improve blood flow in an artery or vein.
• Endovascular aortic repair for aortic aneurysm or dissection. This treatment supports a weakened section of the aorta and allows blood to safely flow through without further weakening the aorta. We offer endovascular aortic repair (EVAR)/thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) to treat an aneurysm in the upper part of the aorta and fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms that are close to the renal (kidney) arteries.
• Limb salvage procedures for people at risk of limb loss due to peripheral artery disease, diabetes or venous stasis ulcers.
• Vena cava filter placement and removal for people with deep vein thrombosis that cannot effectively be treated with blood thinning medication.
• Median arcuate ligament release to treat MALS. Our team offers a minimally invasive procedure to take the pressure off your nerves and celiac artery, helping to restore blood flow and relieve pain. 
• Renal artery angioplasty and stenting. For this procedure, your surgeon places a catheter with a balloon on the tip through the renal artery. The balloon is inflated to open the artery. If necessary, the surgeon may place a stent (tiny tube) inside the artery to help keep it open and increase the blood flow to the kidney.
• Placement of intravascular ports. You may need a port if you have a condition that requires frequent blood draws or if you need frequent IV treatments like chemotherapy.
• Dialysis access surgery. This simple procedure enables a person to use a dialysis machine to treat severe kidney disease.

Minimally Invasive Options

At Overlake, we offer a wide variety of minimally invasive procedures. Instead of open surgery, many patients are eligible for procedures where we thread catheters (thin, flexible tubes) through blood vessels to perform various procedures. Patients who have minimally invasive procedures experience: 

• Shorter surgeries.
• Less time under anesthesia.
• Less pain after surgery.
• Faster recovery times.

Expert Limb-Saving Procedures

Sometimes the best way to save a limb is with amputation. But that is always the last resort. The vascular surgeons at Overlake have an exceptionally high success rate for saving limbs due to extensive experience in limb salvage procedures. For 9 in 10 patients, they’re able to restore adequate blood flow to the legs, helping to avoid unnecessary amputations. The vascular surgeons at Overlake specialize in:

• Endovascular angioplasty and stenting: Your surgeon threads a wire through a vein to access the area where blood flow is blocked. Then, they use a long, thin tube called a catheter with a balloon device on the top to open up an area to increase blood flow. If needed, we can place a stent (a tiny tube) to keep the artery open. These procedures are done through tiny incisions (cuts) and most patients can go home the same day.
• Bypass surgery: Your surgeon creates a new pathway for blood to travel around an area where your artery is blocked. This is done by connecting a bypass graft (tube) to your artery above and below the blockage so that blood can flow past the blocked area.

Leading Vena Cava Filter Placement and Removal    

People who have deep vein thrombosis (DVT) who cannot be fully treated with blood thinners may need a vena cava filter. If you need a vena cava filter, your surgeon will use a catheter to place this device in the vena cava, which is the body’s largest vein. This device catches large blood clots, preventing them from traveling to the lungs where they could cause a life-threatening pulmonary embolism (PE).

Once you no longer need a vena cava filter, it's best to remove it. Our surgeons only use filters that are designed for easy removal through a small incision in the neck. After having a removal procedure, patients can usually go home the same day.

Strong Track Record for Dialysis Access Surgery    

Some people with severe kidney disease need a treatment called dialysis. This treatment helps the body filter toxins and makes the kidneys’ job easier. Before you can have dialysis, you’ll need a minor surgery that allows you to connect to the dialysis machine. Your doctor will recommend one of two options:

• Arteriovenous (AV) fistula: Where surgeons connect an artery to a vein in the arm. That vein can then be used for dialysis treatment. Our vascular surgeons have an excellent track record of creating AV fistulas, even in people where it can be challenging due to body structure or previous treatments.
• AV graft: If your veins are not suitable for an AV fistula, our doctors will create an artificial vein for dialysis treatment using a small, flexible tube.

After your arm heals, blood flow will increase through the fistula or graft, and you will be able to have dialysis treatment.

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