Aortic, Carotid and Peripheral Vascular Disease
Endovascular Therapies:
As cardiovascular specialists we have extended our expertise beyond just the heart to the entire vascular system.
Aortic Disease:
The aorta is the main artery that extends from the aortic valve at the level of the heart through the thoracic cavity and the abdominal cavity into the legs and supplies arterial oxygenated blood flow to the entire body. We specialize in repairing, through minimally invasive endovascular techniques, aneurysms (abnormal enlargement), dissections and tears of the aortic arch, the descending thoracic aorta and the abdominal aorta including abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Carotid Disease:
Carotid disease is one of the leading causes of stroke. A blocked carotid artery is easily diagnosed with a carotid ultrasound. These carotid blockages are now easily treated with a very low complication rate using similar endovascular techniques to fixing coronary arteries. Special stents are available that are implanted into the carotid arteries to remediate these blockages. During these procedures we use special baskets and devices to protect the brain from any clots or debris that may result. We have accumulated the largest experience in Southern California over the last 10 years in managing carotid disease and in providing this procedure for therapeutic management of this disease.
Peripheral Vascular Disease:
Peripheral vascular disease very commonly accompanys coronary artery disease. Patients will often report pains in the lower extremities especially with walking. It may progress to an extent where some patients may even have pain at rest or poorly healing wounds or ulcers of their feet. We are now able to easily remediate blockages in the leg arteries using various atherectomy devices as well as angioplasty and stents including drug coated stents similar to those used in the coronary arteries. In addition we have available several investigational devices for management of all peripheral vascular disease including stent grafts for managing aortic disease, stents for managing carotid disease, drug-coated balloons and stents for managing peripheral vascular disease, and atherectomy devices to clean out the plaque in the lower extremity arteries. We also have available cell therapy protocols for patients who are not candidates for standard revascularization therapy for critical limb ischemia and non healing wounds.