Vascular Surgeon - Bellingham, WA

What is Vascular Surgery?

Vascular surgeons provide both medical and surgical care for the blood vessels of the body. This includes arteries, veins, capillaries, and lymph vessels, but not usually the heart or large vessels immediately surrounding the heart -- those are cared for by cardiologists or cardiothoracic surgeons.

Some of the blood vessel disorders that might require treatment by a vascular surgeon include:

Aneurysms
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries
Varicose veins
Venous thrombosis, or clots in the veins
Peripheral arterial disease, where narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the legs
Carotid artery stenosis, or narrowing of the arteries leading to the brain

Vascular surgery is an unusual surgical specialty because it offers medical care, testing, and non-invasive procedures, as well as complete surgical care. So depending on the diagnosis, a vascular surgeon may offer care or treatment that is non-invasive (such as imaging, diet, or exercise), minimally invasive (such as catheter procedures), or traditional surgery.

When vascular disease disrupts oxygen and nutrients from being delivered efficiently within the body, a vascular surgeon can help restore the flow of health.