Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Identify the Problem, Find the Solution
It began over a decade ago with our development of the stent graft, a revolutionary treatment for aortic aneurysms, which are the 13th leading cause of death worldwide. Since that time, Stanford's division of vascular surgery has helped lead the transition from big, open procedures to minimally invasive, endovascular approaches that are safer for patients.
Treatment for aneurysms used to keep patients in the hospital for a week or more. Full recovery could take as much as three to six months. With stent grafts, patients can leave the hospital in a day or two and expect full recovery within a month - and sometimes as little as a week.
In fact, stent grafts have become the standard procedure for treating aneurysms, having helped speed patient recovery and reduce the risks from aneurysms for over 50,000 patients around the world.
Among our other achievements we've made significant advances in preventing stroke by identifying narrowings in the carotid artery and then clearing the blockage using surgical or endovascular techniques. We are also exploring innovative diagnostic techniques that can help all surgeons make better clinical decisions.
Finally, we have a deep commitment to interdisciplinary work - including daily interactions among diverse specialists and weekly interdisciplinary conferences.
In total, our vascular surgeons perform over 1,000 surgical procedures per year. Our range of expertise includes:
- Open and endovascular repair of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms
- Carotid and vertebral surgery and stenting
- Renal and visceral artery revascularization
- Lower extremity revascularization and limb salvage
- Varicose veins and venous insufficiency
- Upper extremity and thoracic outlet syndromes
- Long term dialysis access procedures
Collaborative Research to Improve Clinical Decisions
Vascular surgeons often must choose from an array of possible therapeutic procedures. The patient's blood flow responses under stress and exercise conditions are significant factors in the decision making process. However, current diagnostic tests usually provide information on resting blood flow only.
The Division's Cardiovascular Biomechanics Lab is an interdisciplinary project with the School of Engineering in Stanford's Bio-X Program. Researchers in this project have developed computational models to help predict changes in blood flow under conditions of stress and exercise.
These predictive models will provide new tools to help our vascular surgeons select the best treatment for each patient.