Ascension Saint Agnes Heart Care

Diagnostic services and tests include:

• Carotid artery ultrasound: Carotid arteries, which are located in the neck, carry blood to the brain. Specialists use ultrasound technology on these arteries to determine if there is plaque buildup exists. Plaque buildup in carotid arteries could lead to a stroke.
• Abdominal aortic ultrasound: The abdominal aorta is part of the aorta – the largest artery in the body. Specialists use ultrasound technology to examine the part of the aorta that runs through the abdomen, determining if the patient is at risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
• Ankle brachial index (ABI): Using a blood pressure cuff and ultrasound technology, specialists determine the level of blood circulation in the legs. This test can help diagnose conditions like pPeripheral aArterial oOcclusive dDisease (PAOD), a type of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.
• Angiography: Specialists inject dye into the patient’s blood vessels to view blood flow through the arteries. Physicians then track blood flow using imaging techniques like x-rays, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or computed tomography angiography (CTA).

Treatments and Procedures:

• Minimally-invasive aneurysm repair: Advances in vascular surgery allow surgeons to treat many vascular conditions with minimally invasive techniques. Surgeons can repair some abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) by delivering a graft through a small incision in the groin. During minimally invasive procedures, patients usually experience less blood loss and a faster recovery time.
• Open arterial and venous surgery: Open or traditional surgeries often require larger incisions than minimally invasive surgeries. Surgeons may perform open surgeries to fix complex vascular conditions.
• Minimally invasive and non-invasive treatments: Many vascular conditions can be treated with minimally invasive, outpatient surgery or non-invasive medications.

Conditions Treated:

• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): DVT is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body.
• Pelvic congestion syndrome: Specialists associate this syndrome with chronic dull pain in the pelvis and varicose veins in the abdomen that develop during pregnancy and continue to grow.
• Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD): Also known as Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), PAOD is a type of atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the arms and legs.
• Varicose veins: Swollen, twisted veins that can be seen just under the skin’s surface. These veins usually occur in the legs.
• Veno occlusive disease (VOD): VOD is an inflammatory condition where some of the small veins in the liver are blocked.