Comprehensive, Leading-edge Care in Vascular Surgery

The cardiologists and vascular surgeons at the AMITA Health Heart & Vascular Institute work together as a cohesive, collaborative team, pushing each other to adapt the newest approaches and innovations so they can provide patients with leading-edge, comprehensive care. Care team members interact daily to share ideas, discuss clinical data, and get feedback from their colleagues.

As you know, patients with vascular disease often have the greatest heath care needs, with underlying issues that complicate the primary vascular complaint. Patients who are referred to the AMITA Health Vascular Surgery Program initially see a vascular specialist who conducts a full cardiovascular evaluation with appropriate screening. Results of this evaluation are then discussed by the entire care team to get diverse perspectives on the best plan of care for each patient. We invite the referring physician to participate in the decision-making process as well. Additionally, we take the time to educate the patient about his or her condition and the available options, as we believe that patient involvement leads to better outcomes.

The AMITA Health Heart & Vascular Institute offers a wide range of expertise and capabilities in-house, with no need for patients to be referred out. Vascular surgeons offer both venous and arterial procedures, including carotid endarterectomy, open aneurysm repairs, and lower and upper extremity bypasses, as well as endovascular approaches to aneurysm repair and carotid stenting. All vascular surgeons at the AMITA Health Heart & Vascular Institute are board-certified in vascular surgery and completed an additional two-year fellowship in both open and endovascular surgery. Interventional cardiologists in the Vascular Surgery Program also perform peripheral angiograms and angioplasties as well as sophisticated revascularization procedures.

The AMITA Health Heart & Vascular Institute has an active clinical trials program that brings the latest advances in vascular medicine directly to patients. Several trials in vascular medicine are actively recruiting patients (see box). The physicians at AMITA Health Heart & Vascular Institute are highly selective regarding participation in clinical trials, choosing only those trials that offer important options for patients and have the potential of improving outcomes. Patients who are eligible to participate in a clinical trial receive coordinated care and comprehensive support from both their clinical care team and the clinical research team.

Several new clinical trials in vascular medicine are planned for 2018, including studies with new devices and interventional procedures for peripheral arterial disease. The most current list of clinical trials underway at the AMITA Health Heart & Vascular Institute can be found at https://www.amitahealth.org/research.