Vascular Disease

About half of Americans live with cardiovascular disease, and many others have vascular disease affecting the blood vessels outside the heart. At Park Slope Medical Office, PC in New York City, the experienced vascular care specialists led by board-certified doctor Anjan Rau, MD, offer compassionate and comprehensive vascular disease care. Call the Park Slope, Brooklyn, or Jackson Heights, Queens office today or click on the online scheduling feature for expert vascular care.

What is vascular disease?

Vascular disease includes a broad spectrum of conditions that affect your arteries, which deliver blood throughout your body, and your veins, which return blood to your heart for recirculation. The many types of vascular disease include:

• Varicose veins
• Spider veins
• Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
• Coronary artery disease
• Carotid artery disease
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Aneurysm
• Clotting disorders
• Lymphedema
• Kidney (renal) artery disease

Vascular diseases affect either the physical structure or the function of your blood vessels. 

I have painful legs. Do I have vascular disease?

Leg pain is often one of the first signs of vascular disease. However, leg pain can also result from non-vascular problems like muscle, tendon, or ligament damage. In most cases, vascular disease causes additional symptoms, including: 

• Cold-feeling legs
• Heavy-feeling legs
• Itchy legs
• Leg and foot swelling
• Slow-healing wounds
• Prominent leg veins

Unfortunately, some of the most serious vascular diseases, like carotid artery disease and coronary artery disease, may not cause symptoms until you have a heart attack or stroke. 

So, it’s important to have regular vascular testing. It allows the Park Slope Medical Office, PC team to identify and treat vascular disease in its earliest and most treatable forms.

Screening can also identify risk factors, such as smoking, a high-fat diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and extra weight — all things you can change to reduce your risk of a vascular crisis.

What is the most effective treatment for vascular disease?

Many vascular disease treatments are available today, and Park Slope Medical Office, PC uses the most innovative, leading-edge approaches to resolve your condition and improve your quality of life. 

Your treatment plan may include the following:

Medication

Medication, such as blood pressure drugs, can help reduce your risk of vascular events. That’s typically part of an overall plan that also includes diet and exercise.

Minimally invasive procedures

Minimally invasive procedures, such as Asclera® sclerotherapy, laser vein treatments, endovenous laser ablation, and radiofrequency ablation, are all performed on-site and can offer results without major surgery. 

Surgery

Angioplasty is a surgical procedure to open blocked blood vessels. Stenting keeps the treated blood vessels open to reduce the risk of an event such as a heart attack or stroke. Another option is removing and replacing a damaged blood vessel using a blood vessel graft.

Call Park Slope Medical Office, PC or book your appointment online today.