Endovascular surgery has transformed the treatment of vascular disease over the past two decades by enabling complex vascular conditions to be treated through small puncture sites, using thin catheters, guidewires, and real-time X-ray fluoroscopy to navigate inside blood vessels and deliver treatment directly to the diseased segment. For appropriately selected patients, the advantages over open surgery are substantial: smaller access points, less pain, faster recovery, shorter hospital stay, and the ability to treat patients who are not candidates for major open surgery due to medical comorbidities. Dr. Abhilash V, DrNB Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon at Sparsh Hospital, Hennur, Bengaluru, performs the full range of endovascular vascular interventions. Peripheral arterial occlusions are treated by balloon angioplasty to open the narrowing and stenting to maintain vessel patency. Aortic aneurysms, where the main artery of the body has dilated dangerously, are treated by EVAR (Endovascular Aneurysm Repair), in which a stent-graft is delivered through the femoral arteries and deployed to exclude the aneurysm from the circulation, avoiding the major abdominal or chest incision of open repair. Deep vein thrombosis with extensive proximal clot is treated by catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), delivering clot-dissolving medication directly through a catheter placed inside the thrombosed vein to rapidly restore venous patency and prevent post-thrombotic syndrome. Dialysis AV fistulas that have narrowed and reduced in flow are restored by fistula angioplasty. Carotid artery stenosis causing stroke risk is treated by carotid artery stenting as an alternative to open endarterectomy in selected patients. The decision between endovascular and open surgical treatment is not a preference: it is a clinical judgement based on the anatomy of the lesion, the patient's overall health, and which approach will deliver the most durable outcome for that specific patient.
Related reading:
Peripheral Arterial Disease: Why Leg Pain on Walking Is Never Just About Age
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Written by Dr. Abhilash V, MBBS (Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), Bellary), MS General Surgery (Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru), DrNB Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (National Board of Examinations, New Delhi), Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon, Sparsh Hospital Hennur (DivyaSree Avance, Hennur Bagalur Main Road, HBR Layout, Bengaluru 560043, Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM), Chinmaya Mission Hospital (Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Tuesday and Friday, 5:00 PM onwards), and Sparsh Hospital Yelahanka (Wednesday and Saturday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM). 16+ years. 10,000+ patients. Phone: +91 76766 84611 / +91 88842 70333.
