What is a balloon angioplasty dilation ?
A balloon catheter is inserted through the vessel to the area of the disease where the narrowing, or blockage of the aorta, has occurred. Through the dilation of an atherosclerotically obstructed artery by the balloon catheter, the artery is widened, compressing the plaque against the vessel wall.

What is stent deployment by balloon ?
During angioplasty, a mechanical device known as a stent may be deployed at the site of vascular injury. Stents may be fabricated from a number of biocompatible materials, typically metals. Optimal stent deployment technique leads to uniform circumferential expansion and very close apposition to the vessel wall.

What is a bypass graft ?
A bypass graft implants living tissue surgically, creating a new piece of artery and bypassing the ruptured portion of the old artery.

What kinds of problems do diabetics have ?
Diabetes is a chronic disease. In advanced cases, circulation to the extremities - usually the legs, feet and toes - grows increasingly constricted. When these areas are injured or when pressure sores develop, poor circulation prevents healing. When sores don't heal, infection can occur. In time, the infected area becomes gangrenous. Because gangrene can spread throughout the body, amputation may be necessary.

What can be done in the case of acute circulation problems?
Tremendous success in restoring circulation to limbs and vital organs has been achieved through innovative surgeries. In many cases total restoration of circulation is accomplished through procedures called arterial bypasses. In a bypass procedure, surgical graft material, or vein, is attached above and below a blocked artery to restore blood flow to an extremity. Balloon angioplasty, in which a balloon is inserted into a blocked artery and then inflated to crush plaque, has proven effective in opening a diseased artery and allowing the return of blood flow. Vascular surgery can correct aneurysms. If the aneurysm is in the coronary vessel, the work is done by a cardiovascular surgeon. If it's elsewhere, a vascular surgeon performs the operation.

The Department of Vascular Surgery at Manipal Hospital, Bangalore is one among few such departments in India. The department, which has been in active service for over a decade now, performs more than 250 procedures every year. The department is suitably equipped with state-of-the-art amenities such as Duplex Scan, Angiogram, CT / MRI.

The team at the department holds an active academic interest in the field and has regularly invested in research. The department also has a Post Doctoral Fellowship program in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery recognized by the Manipal University.

For Detailed Dossier on Vascular Surgery, please write to us at  mktg@mediescapes.com