Vascular Surgery

Vascular Surgery at WKS

Vascular surgery is a specialty of surgery in which diseases of arteries and veins are managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures, and surgical reconstruction. Vascular surgeons are trained in the diagnosis and management of diseases affecting all parts of the vascular system except that of the heart and brain.

Associated areas of interest and operative surgical practice for vascular surgeons are access surgery for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, organ harvesting for transplantation, renal transplantation, and pancreatic solid organ transplantation.

Vascular surgeons will frequently have close associations with vascular radiology clinics for a combined treatment of certain conditions. The radiologists contribute to endovascular case management, sometimes with angioplasty and stenting, but more often in specific areas of expertise such as:

• Sclerotherapy for vascular anomalies and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)
• Coil embolization of bleeding visceral arteries in trauma
• Occlusion of tumor supplying arteries as a prelude to operation
• CT-guided procedures such as lumbar chemical sympathectomy

Due to common medical associations our team of surgeons may recommend surgical opinions and treatment for a multidisciplinary clinic, wound management nurses, podiatrists, prosthetists, rehabilitation physicians, endocrinologists, to manage high risk foot disease patients.

Less common operative surgical associations are: sympathectomy (ETS, Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy), lumbar sympathectomy, Hyperhidrosis surgery); vascular access for chemotherapy etc. patients; dialysis/ECMO (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation) for patients in Intensive Care Wards; vascular mobilization for access associated with other specialist operations e.g. extensive orthopaedic spinal and pelvic surgery, retroperitoneal cancer dissections, renal tumor surgery.