2010 Performance Report:
Vascular Surgery.
The vascular system is the combination of all of the veins and arteries in the body. Veins carry blood to the heart, where the blood then travels to the lungs and is oxygenated. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart back to the rest of the body. Vascular disease occurs when blood vessels in the veins and arteries become smaller and hinder the normal flow of blood in the body. Skin, muscles, and organs can all be damaged when they do not receive enough oxygenated blood.
Peripheral vascular surgery is an operation to restore circulation to the body. In 2009, out of 976 peripheral vascular procedures (Shown right), we performed 222 carotid endarterectomies. A carotid endarterectomy helps prevent and treat strokes by removing plaque from inside the carotid artery. Our complication rates for this procedure continue to compare favorably with other national programs. (Shown below)
St.Vincent Heart Center completed 162 abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs in 2009. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the swelling of a blood vessel in the aorta, the body’s main artery. Our already favorable mortality rates for both ruptured and non-ruptured AAAs improved in 2009. These improvements are especially significant for our ruptured AAA repairs. On a national level, these types of repairs are expected to be statistically higher than non-ruptured AAAs. The St.Vincent Heart Center mortality rate for ruptured AAAs decreased by 6 percent in 2009. (Shown below)
One large part of the vascular practice at St.Vincent Heart Center is lower extremity bypass surgery for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). This procedure increases blood flow to the legs when arteries are blocked. Surgeons at St.Vincent Heart Center performed 167 lower extremity bypass surgeries in 2009, with success that met or exceeded national standards and results reported by other national vascular surgery programs. (Shown below)
