What is Vascular Surgery?

Vascular surgery is a specialty of surgery in which diseases of the vascular system, or arteries and veins, are managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures, and surgical reconstruction. The specialty evolved from general and cardiac surgery.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 and Interventional Neuroradiologists manage surgical disease of the vessels in the brain.

Vascular surgeons, sometimes referred to as vascular surgical physicians, may prescribe medication or therapy, order non-invasive diagnostic testing and perform a variety of diagnostic and surgical procedures. While traditional vascular surgery usually focused on the treatment conditions such as aneurysms and embolisms, current vascular surgery includes many endovascular procedures. Endovascular procedures generally involve the placement of catheters or stents to maintain open arteries or veins.