Vascular Medicine and Surgery at Mass General Brigham

Frequently asked questions about vascular medicine and surgery

At Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular, heart care and vascular care are closely related, but they focus on different parts of the circulatory system. While our team works together to provide comprehensive care, some focus specifically on heart conditions, while others specialize in vascular health.

Heart care

Heart care focuses on conditions that directly affect the heart, such as:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD)
• Heart attacks
• Heart failure
• Arrhythmias
• Valve disorders

Our heart care team includes cardiologists and cardiac surgeons who provide treatments like:

• Medication
• Pacemakers and other implantable devices
• Catheter-based interventions (angioplasty, stents, some valve repairs)
• Open-heart surgery (e.g., bypass surgery, some valve repair)

Vascular care

Vascular care focuses on the blood vessels outside the heart and brain, including the arteries and aorta, the veins, and lymphatic vessels. Our vascular care team treats conditions such as:

• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Varicose veins
• Aneurysms
• Carotid artery disease

Vascular specialists and surgeons offer treatment options that include:

• Medical management
• Minimally invasive procedures (e.g., angioplasty, stenting, sclerotherapy)
• Surgical interventions (e.g., bypass surgery, aneurysm repair)

Vascular medicine focuses on the diagnosis, prevention, and non-surgical treatment of vascular diseases using medications, lifestyle changes, and minimally invasive procedures like angioplasty or stenting. It addresses conditions such as peripheral artery disease, deep vein thrombosis, and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) through medical management and interventions that do not require open surgery.

Vascular surgery, on the other hand, involves operative procedures to repair, remove, or bypass diseased blood vessels. It is used for more advanced vascular conditions, including aneurysm repair, carotid endarterectomy, bypass surgery, and vein stripping. While vascular medicine aims to manage and slow disease progression, vascular surgery is necessary for cases requiring structural repair or reconstruction.

Vascular disease is treated in several ways, including lifestyle modifications like wearing compression socks, prescription medications such as anticoagulants or blood thinners, and surgery.

At Mass General Brigham, our vascular team includes experts in both conventional open surgery and minimally invasive endovascular procedures. Both provide excellent results. The difference is in how the surgeon accesses your blood vessels:

• Vascular surgery is an open surgery that involves incisions and anesthesia.
• Endovascular therapy is a minimally invasive approach to treat a specific problem inside the blood vessels. Instead of making a large cut, the doctor accesses the vessel through a small puncture in the vessel wall.

The term vascular refers to anything related to blood vessels, and endo- means “inside.” The tools used in endovascular therapies enter the body and the blood vessels through a tiny plastic tube, called a catheter, that is typically inserted into a vessel in the groin area.