Vascular disease

At Advocate Heart Institute, you receive services from some of the nation’s leading vascular disease specialists. We have an established history of vascular care excellence that includes pioneering methods to protect your health. Our team approach means you benefit from the recommendations of experts who work together to treat your vascular disorder and lower your risk of complications.

What is vascular disease?

Vascular disease is the name for a group of conditions affecting your blood vessels. Vascular diseases include buildups in blood vessel walls, blood clots and varicose veins. Most forms of vascular disease worsen over time. If they affect blood flow, these conditions can cause life-threatening complications. Early detection can lower your risk.

Types of vascular disease

There are many types of vascular disorders, and the types of vascular disease we treat include:

Symptoms of vascular disease

The symptoms you experience depend on the diagnosis. Common vascular disease symptoms include:

Causes of vascular disease

The risk of vascular disease increases with age. You may also face a higher risk if you have:

Diagnosing vascular disease

If you are experiencing vascular disease symptoms, your care starts with a thorough examination. We then determine which tests you may need so our experts can accurately diagnose the issue. Find out more about heart and vascular disorder testing and diagnosis.

Vascular disease tests include:

• Arterial pulse examination: Applying gentle pressure to an artery helps us determine whether your body is working harder than it should to circulate blood.
• Ankle-brachial index: We compare the blood pressure in your ankle to the pressure in your arm. In healthy people, the readings should be similar.
• Angiography: Using X-ray imaging and a special dye, we perform a basic evaluation of blood flow through the arteries.
• Blood test: If we suspect atherosclerosis, your care may include examining a sample of blood to check cholesterol levels.
• Ultrasound: This is a more detailed test that assesses blood flow through the arteries. Instead of X-rays, it uses sound waves.
• CT scan: You may need a CT scan if there is a potential aortic aneurysm. This test uses X-rays and special technology to examine blood vessels at different angles.

Treating vascular disease

You have access to the full range of therapies. Our team coordinates the options that are right for you and carefully monitors your response. This enables us to adjust therapies to your changing needs.

Vascular disease treatments we offer include:

Medications

Drugs may prevent certain risk factors from getting worse. We may recommend:

• Cholesterol-lowering drugs
• Blood pressure-lowering medications
• Blood thinners to prevent unnecessary clots

Lifestyle changes

Adopting healthy habits can help you manage factors that contribute to vascular disease complications. These preventive care habits include:

• Quitting smoking

• Eating a healthy diet

• Staying physically active

• Reducing stress levels through relaxation and other techniques

Surgery and procedures

If other treatments aren’t successful, you may need cardiovascular surgery or an interventional cardiology procedure. Treatment options include:

• Angioplasty and stenting: This procedure uses long thin tubes (catheters) to access problem areas. A special balloon at the tip pushes atherosclerosis plaques out of the way. A mesh device (stent) keeps the widened blood vessel open.

• Atherectomy: Our experts use catheters to access narrowed arteries. Instruments at the tip enable us to shave off or use other techniques to remove plaque buildup.

• Bypass surgery: We transfer a healthy vein from another part of the body to route blood flow around a diseased artery.

• Endarterectomy: This procedure is similar to an atherectomy but uses traditional surgical techniques to remove plaques.

• Rehabilitation: If Peripheral artery disease is affecting your ability to use your limbs, cardiac rehabilitation may help. We guide you through exercises to regain strength and teach you methods to prevent symptom worsening.

Trust your heart to us

Look to us for unmatched expertise, the most advanced programs and treatments, and the latest in vascular disorder research and clinical trials.