Vascular surgery
Risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes facilitate atherosclerosis and the weakening of the arteries. In many cases, vascular surgery can help to prevent severe complications of vascular disease, including reduced blood flow to the brain and limbs.

What is vascular surgery?
Vascular surgery is often used to treat narrowed arteries - this may involve the surgical removal of hardened deposits, or bypass grafting, to divert blood flow around an occluded vessel. One highly specialized vascular surgery procedure - aortic aneurysm repair - is used in patients whose aorta has dilated and is at risk of rupture, and involves the use of vascular prostheses to repair or replace affected sections.
What conditions can be treated using vascular surgery?
The conditions frequently treated using vascular surgery include:
- Carotid stenosis
- Chronic narrowing of the blood vessels in the pelvis or the legs (peripheral arterial disease); less commonly, acute blockages affecting vessels in the limbs, e.g. thromboembolism.
- Aortic aneurysm (Enlargement of the aorta)
How can vascular surgery help?
In a large proportion of cases, the patient's vascular disease is caused by fatty deposits building up on the arterial walls (atherosclerosis), accompanied by a gradual weakening of the arteries. This process is facilitated by risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as abnormalities in lipid metabolism. Atherosclerosis is characterized by the narrowing (stenosis) of blood vessels and, while it can develop anywhere in the body, the condition has a tendency to develop at specific sites.
Stenosis of the coronary arteries, for instance, can lead to coronary heart disease , and patients with this condition often require bypass surgery. Other sites often affected by stenosis include the carotid arteries, the renal arteries, and the arteries of the pelvis and lower limbs. In addition, enlarged areas of the aorta known as aortic aneurysms are also more likely to develop in patients with atherosclerosis and weakening of the vessel walls.
Where can I find out more about vascular surgery?
General information
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gefäßchirurgie (German Society of Vascular Surgery)
www.gefaesschirurgie.de
General information
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Thorax-, Herz, und Gefäßchirurgie (German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery)
http://www.dgthg.de/