Vascular Associates Specialize in Advanced Endovascular Services

Endovascular surgery is a form of minimally invasive surgery designed to access many regions of the body using access through major blood vessels. It is used for coronary (heart) and cerebral (brain) angiography procedures. Angiography is a procedure that helps physicians visualize blood vessels in various parts of the body, including the brain. A thin catheter is inserted into an artery leading to the area of concern and an iodine-based dye is injected to highlight the vessels while x-rays are taken.

Angiography is often used to determine whether blood vessels are narrowed or blocked. Angiography can help the physician detect intracranial hemorrhages, visualize brain tissue, and support quick and accurate decisions about whether an intervention is needed.

It also makes it possible to combine diagnosis and treatment in a single procedure for patients who need surgery, angioplasty, or stent placement. This saves critical time for stroke patients as physicians can evaluate and perform the intervention in the neurosciences OR suite without the need to move a patient. Endovascular interventions can be especially effective for the prevention and treatment of stroke and TIA (transient ischemic attack).

The specialized ORs also are well equipped for neurosurgical evaluation of the neck and spine to diagnose and treat chronic pain, nerve and peripheral nerve compression, herniated intervertebral discs, spinal cord compression syndromes and repair surgery, as well as spinal cord and head injuries resulting from trauma. Malignant and benign tumors of the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves also can be treated with minimally invasive procedures.