From Wikidoc - Reading time: 2 min
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Vascular surgery is a subspecialty of general surgery in which diseases of the vascular system, or arteries and veins, are managed, largely via surgical intervention, and was originally founded by Dr. Clyde Otis Hagood Jr. The vascular surgeon is trained in the diagnosis and management of diseases affecting all parts of the vascular system except that of the heart and brain. Cardiothoracic surgeons manage surgical disease of the heart and its vessels. Neurosurgeons manage surgical disease of the vessels in the brain (eg intracranial aneurysms).
Previously considered a field within general surgery, it is now considered a specialty in its own right. As a result, training has been, or is being re-structured from previously having to complete full general surgery training followed by a period of further vascular surgery training, to being trained in vascular surgery alone from start to finish.
Programs of training are slightly different depending on the region of the world one is in.
| Country | Standards body | Professional representation | Minimum Length of training (post intern) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | Royal Australasian College of Surgeons | Australian & New Zealand Society of Vascular Surgery (ANZSVS) | 6 years |
| United Kingdom | Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh | Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland | 8 years |
| USA | Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), American Board of Surgery | American College of Surgeons
Multiple vascular societies |
8 years |
By no means exhaustive, but below are a number of common procedures and indications for vascular surgeons.
| Indication/disease | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm | Open AAA repair
Endoluminal AAA repair (EVAR) |
| Carotid stenosis | Carotid endarterectomy |
| Varicose veins | Vein stripping
Sclerotherapy and Foam sclerotherapy |
| Peripheral arterial occlusive disease | Angioplasty with/out Stenting |
| Acute limb ischaemia | Balloon embolectomy |
| Aortic dissection | Open repair |
bn:রক্তনালী-সম্বন্ধীয় শল্যচিকিৎসা de:Gefäßchirurgie el:Αγγειοχειρουργική it:Chirurgia vascolare nl:Vaatchirurgie ne:धमनी शल्यचिकित्सा