Peripheral Vascular Lecture Notes

Flashcards about Peripheral Vascular System

Peripheral vascular system

All the blood vessels that exist outside the heart, including the aorta and its branches.

Arteries

Nourishing organs with blood and nutrients; always under high pressure.

Arterioles

Respond to the tissue's need for more nutrients/oxygen.

Capillaries

Thin walls where the exchange of nutrients and metabolites occurs primarily via diffusion.

Venules

Smallest veins that receive blood from capillaries and play a role in the exchange of oxygen and nutrients for waste products.

Veins

Contain one-way valves to allow blood flow toward the heart in a forward direction.

Peripheral vascular disease

Reduced circulation of blood to a body part (other than the brain or heart) due to narrowed or blocked blood vessels, or abnormal enlargement.

Risk factors for peripheral vascular disease

Diabetes, obesity, smoking, aging, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Atherosclerosis

One of the leading causes of death and disability in the Western World.

True aneurysm

The vessel wall weakens and bulges, sometimes forming a blood-filled sac.

Factors that may weaken or damage blood vessel walls, leading to aneurysms

Atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, family history, older age, smoking, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, illicit drug use, pregnancy, and trauma.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)

Bulge in the wall of the aorta in the abdomen, often linked to atherosclerosis.

Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) repair (EVAR)

Minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat a weakened bulge in the aorta.

Pseudoaneurysm

A collection of blood outside an artery or the heart that occurs when a blood vessel wall is damaged.

Causes of pseudoaneurysm

Artery injury, infection, rupture of an aneurysm, surgery, or trauma.

Bypass surgery

Removing a blood vessel from another part of the body and attaching it to the coronary artery above and below the blockage OR using a synthetic tube or bovine.

Fem-pop bypass

Femoral popliteal bypass.

Thrombectomy

Removes a blood clot from a blood vessel, restoring blood flow.

Embolectomy

A surgical procedure that removes a blood clot, or embolus, from a blood vessel.

Catheter embolectomy

Uses a catheter to remove the clot.

Surgical embolectomy

Involves traditional open heart surgery to remove the clot.

Endarterectomy

A surgical procedure that removes plaque buildup from the lining of an artery.

Carotid endarterectomy

Removes plaque from the arteries that run through the neck to the brain.

Shunt

A small plastic tube that diverts blood around the section of the carotid artery being operated on.

Amputation

A surgical procedure that removes part or all of a limb.

Causes for amputation

Blood vessel disease, cancer, infection, excessive tissue damage, dysfunction, pain.

Angioplasty

An inflatable balloon is inserted through the catheter to push plaque down along the wall, widening the artery.

Stent

A tube-shaped device inserted into a duct or vessel to keep it open; often used in angioplasty.

Arteriovenous Fistula (AV fistula)

An abnormal connection between an artery and a vein, bypassing the capillary network.

Dialysis Fistulas

Surgically created AV fistulas used in hemodialysis to provide a large blood vessel for easy access to the bloodstream during treatment.

Fistulogram

A test to look for abnormal areas in the dialysis graft or arterio-venous fistula, using contrast to look at blood flow.

Arteriovenous fistula (brain/spinal cord)

Abnormal connection of vessels in the tissues around the brain or spinal cord.

Varicose veins

Swollen, twisted veins that lie just under the skin, caused by faulty valves that allow blood to pool.