Revascularization Procedures

Revascularization Procedures

Revascularization Procedures refer to surgical methods in which an organ or a body part is provided with a new, an augmented or with an additional blood supply. This type of clinical approach can only be performed after the patient has undergone thorough medical examinations and after his or her main health care practitioner has decided upon a clear diagnosis and upon the adequate manner in which the patient’s medical condition is to be handled. This means that the patient will have to undergo different imaging tests, which can include the following: CT scan, X-ray fluoroscopy, PET scan, magnetic resonance imaging, and so on. 

Revascularization Procedures are employed in numerous medical cases. For example, individuals who have been diagnosed with the presence of gangrene often need to undergo this type of medical technique (if possible). The same therapy option is also recommend in the case of patients who present inadequate tissue perfusion (a medical disorder also called ischemia). Diabetic ulcers and other types of chronic wounds can sometimes require the patient to undergo such a medical procedure.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting is one of the most common Revascularization Procedures employed nowadays. A patient may have to undergo this type of medical procedure if he or she presents a severe condition of their main coronary artery (or a disease of all 3 major coronary arteries), severe angina (that does not respond to the therapy with traditional medical products), defective left ventricles, and so on. This type of medical technique can also be applied in the case of individuals who do not adequately respond to balloon angioplasty and / or to the aggressive therapy with powerful medical products.

All patients should always keep in mind that we have not been able to list all of the potential reasons for which a certain patient can be advised to undergo this type of therapy option. If you are interested in learning whether you would benefit or not from the applying of one of the types of Revascularization Procedures that we have listed in this chapter (or from another similar procedure) you should refer to your main medical prescriber.

Revascularization Procedures Description

One of the most common Revascularization Procedures that are applied all over the world is called Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (a technique commonly abbreviated as CABG). This type of operation bypasses obstructions or blockages that are located at the coronary arteries, thus restoring the patient’s natural flow of nutrients and oxygen to the heart and from there, to other important tissues.

Some Revascularization Procedures (including Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting) are open heart surgeries. In the case of CABG the patient undergoes a median sternotomy – an incision that allows the surgeon to have a good view of the patient’s heart. In most cases, the patient’s heart is stopped during this type of surgery; in the meantime, the individual is maintained alive with the help of a special heart-lung medical apparatus (a cardiopulmonary bypass). During a CABG the surgeon creates an artificial detour around the blockage of the main artery (the coronary artery); in order to bypass the obstruction, the health care practitioner uses arteries from the arm and from the chest and veins from the patient’s leg, connecting them to the coronary artery and to the aorta.

Scientists have developed new techniques which enable surgeons to perform CABG with less patient discomfort, faster recovery rates and improved function of the heart. The most common minimally invasive procedures (they try to minimize as much as possible the trauma caused by the surgical operation) include: endoscopic vein harvesting (the veins are removed from the patient’s leg through a small incision), off pump surgery (performing the operation without employing a cardiopulmonary bypass; in this way, the risks that are associated with the use of this medical apparatus – especially the developing of blood clots, are reduced), multiple arterial grafts, and so on.

Like with most other surgical operations, undergoing Revascularization Procedures subjects the patient to certain risks; the most common hazards that have been associated with such medical techniques include: infection, bleeding, stroke, the need to repeat the operation, kidney failure, and so on. The patient’s risk of experiencing the unpleasant complications of this medical procedure depends on his or her age, heart function, overall health, smoking history, and so on.

Revascularization Procedures Related Medication

All Revascularization Procedures are performed after the patient has been anesthetized; in other words, anesthetic medical products are always administered to an individual who is scheduled to undergo such a clinical procedure. The administration of such products must be supervised by a specialized medical provider; the choice upon the specific anesthetic that the patient is to be administered should be made by the patient’s health care professional, as he or she is the only one who possesses sufficient information about the individual’s medical history and is able to choose the medication that will subject the individual to the smallest risk.

Revascularization Procedures can be preceded by the administration of antibiotic medical products; the purpose of this type of prophylactic therapy course is to diminish the patient’s chances of developing a certain type of infection after the surgery. This therapy course is applied especially in the case of patients who have recently followed a treatment with immunosuppressant drugs (as they are subjected to a higher risk of experiencing this complication). 

Your personal health care provider can provide you with further information concerning the main medical remedies that can be prescribed to patients who are to undergo Revascularization Procedures. You can be sure that your main medical prescriber will tell you if you should start using a certain type of medical product or not; if you are interested in further information concerning this topic, you should discuss with a person that specializes in this field. We want to emphasize on the fact that this medical article should only be seen as a supplement to the information which your medical specialist will provide you with, as it does not try, nor can it replace it under any circumstances.