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Vascular Surgery guides
19 plain-English, evidence-linked guides in Vascular Surgery, with clinical review status shown on each page.
Amputation (Limb amputation)An operation to remove all or part of a limb, usually a leg, when poor blood supply, severe infection, injury or tissue damage means the limb cannot be saved or is causing serious harm. The aim is to relieve pain or danger and help you stay as active and well as possible afterwards.Angioplasty and stenting (Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with or without stenting)A keyhole treatment that widens a narrowed or blocked artery using a small balloon, sometimes leaving a mesh tube (stent) to hold it open.AV fistula for dialysis (Arteriovenous (AV) fistula formation for dialysis)An operation that joins an artery to a vein, usually in the arm, to create a strong blood vessel that can be used for reliable haemodialysis once it has matured.Carotid endarterectomyAn operation to clear fatty narrowing from the main artery in the neck, done to lower the risk of a stroke.Diabetic foot surgery (Surgery for diabetic foot problems)Operations to treat serious diabetic foot problems — such as removing infected or dead tissue, draining infection, correcting deformity or, when needed, removing part of the foot — to control infection, help ulcers heal and protect the leg.DVT treatment (Treatment of deep vein thrombosis)Treatment for a blood clot in a deep vein, usually with blood-thinning medicine, to stop the clot growing, lower the risk of a clot reaching the lungs, and reduce long-term leg problems.Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR)A keyhole, image-guided procedure to line a swollen section of the main artery in the tummy with a stent graft passed up from the groin, to reduce the risk of it bursting.Femoral-popliteal bypass (Femoropopliteal bypass graft)An operation that reroutes blood from the artery in the groin to the artery behind the knee, bypassing a blockage in the thigh.Foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins (Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy)An injection treatment for varicose veins, where a foamed medicine is injected to irritate the vein lining so the vein collapses and is absorbed by the body.Hyperhidrosis (sympathectomy) surgery (Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis)Keyhole chest surgery that interrupts part of the sympathetic nerve chain to reduce excessive sweating, usually of the hands, used only when other treatments have not worked and after careful counselling about side effects.Leg ulcer treatment (Management of chronic leg ulceration)An overview of how long-standing leg ulcers are treated — most commonly with compression and wound care — and why finding the cause first is essential.Lower limb bypass surgery (Lower limb (infra-inguinal) arterial bypass)An operation that reroutes blood around a blocked leg artery using a graft, to improve circulation and ease pain or help wounds heal.Microsclerotherapy for thread veins (Microsclerotherapy)A cosmetic injection treatment for tiny surface thread or spider veins, where a weak solution is injected through a fine needle to make the veins fade.Open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (Open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm)A major operation to repair a swollen, weakened section of the main artery in the tummy by sewing in a synthetic graft, to reduce the risk of it bursting.Pelvic vein embolisation (Pelvic vein embolisation (ovarian and pelvic vein embolisation))A keyhole procedure that blocks off faulty pelvic veins using tiny coils and sometimes a foam, to ease the chronic pelvic pain and heaviness of pelvic congestion (pelvic venous disorder).Phlebectomy (vein removal) (Ambulatory phlebectomy)A procedure to remove bulging surface varicose veins through a series of tiny skin nicks, often done alongside treatment of the main faulty vein.Radiofrequency ablation for varicose veins (Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of varicose veins)A keyhole treatment that uses heat from a thin tube inside a faulty leg vein to seal it shut, so blood is diverted to healthier veins.Treatment of peripheral arterial disease (Management of peripheral arterial disease (PAD))An overview of how narrowed leg arteries are managed — from exercise and medicines to keyhole or surgical treatment — to ease symptoms and protect the heart and limbs.Varicose vein treatment (laser, EVLA) (Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) of varicose veins)A keyhole treatment that uses laser heat through a thin fibre to seal a faulty leg vein causing varicose veins.
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