Vascular Medicine

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At Merit Health River Oaks, vascular care specialists are trained to deliver care for a range of conditions that affect the arteries and veins, from varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis to atherosclerosis and aneurysm.

Vascular medicine focuses on conditions and diseases that affect arteries and veins, and impair blood flow. Vascular disease can contribute to coronary artery disease (heart attack) and stroke, two of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Merit Health River Oaks offers a range of services for prevention and treatment of vascular diseases. Vascular specialists provide care for conditions such as:

• Aneurysm
• Atherosclerosis
• Buerger's disease
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Pulmonary embolism
• Varicose veins

The vascular medicine team at Merit Health River Oaks provides a range of care, including:

• Diagnostic technology - Heart and vascular specialists utilize imaging technology such as computed tomography angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), or a minimally invasive coronary angiogram, to evaluate and diagnose heart and vascular disease.
• Risk-factor management - Diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and unhealthful habits such as a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and improper diet can contribute to vascular disease. Merit Health River Oaks offers educational and preventive-screening services to help promote healthful practices that contribute to heart and vascular health. A multidisciplinary team can provide a treatment program to manage risk factors to minimize the risk of developing or aggravating vascular disease.
• Surgical interventions - Minimally invasive catheter-assisted techniques such as angioplasty, atherectomy and stent placement can be used to remove plaque and reopen blocked arteries. Vascular specialists use minimally invasive procedures whenever possible.

Merit Health River Oaks specializes in nonsurgical and minimally invasive techniques to treat venous conditions such as varicose and spider veins, and venous ulcers. A multidisciplinary team of interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons and other clinicians provides a range of treatments that may offer a fast recovery with little or no downtime.

Vein specialists treat varicose and spider veins using a variety of techniques, including:

• Endovenous laser ablation or radiofrequency ablation – Minimally invasive surgical techniques that use heat to seal veins closed.
• Laser therapy – A nonsurgical procedure performed through the skin, used primarily to treat small spider veins or broken capillaries on the face.
• Phlebectomy – A minimally invasive surgical technique that removes veins through tiny punctures, which requires no stitches and leaves no scars.
• Sclerotherapy – A nonsurgical injection with a drug solution that causes vessels to collapse and ultimately disappear.