Cardiovascular and vascular surgeons do much of their work in the operating room.
There once was a time when the doctor who treated your cold also removed your brother’s appendix and delivered your sister’s baby. The medical field has advanced to the extent that it would be impossible for general practitioners to possess the knowledge required to be proficient in every area of patient care. Consequently, some physicians concentrate on specific aspects of medical care and are called specialists in that particular field. Surgeons are types of specialists.
Surgeons
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "surgeons specialize in the treatment of injury, disease, and deformity through operations." They correct deformities, repair injuries, and remove diseased tissues and organs. General surgeons are those qualified to operate on any number of body parts within different organ systems of the body. Some surgeries, however, are too complex to be performed by general surgeons. Physicians who possess the necessary education and experience to perform complicated operations on specific body parts are called surgical specialists. Cardiovascular and vascular surgeons represent surgical specialists.
Body Parts Treated
Cardiovascular and vascular surgeons differ with respect to the parts of the body they treat. Cardiovascular surgeons address disorders affecting the organs of the chest, particularly the heart and its blood vessels. Some heart surgeons specialize even further and limit their practice to certain procedures, such as heart transplants, or specific patient populations, such as children. Vascular surgeons specialize in treating the arteries, veins and lymphatic system in all areas of the body except those of the heart and brain.
Conditions Treated
Cardiovascular surgeons treat the numerous conditions that affect the heart and its blood vessels. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, conditions affecting the aorta and pulmonary (lung) blood vessels, and cardiac tumors. Vascular surgeons treat conditions such as blockages that can cause strokes or inhibit circulation in the extremities and aneurysms (weakened areas in an artery wall that have the potential to rupture). They also specialize in conditions affecting the veins such as blood clots and varicose veins.
Procedures
Cardiovascular surgeons perform a variety of procedures to correct medical issues involving the heart. Balloon angioplasty opens blocked arteries and allows for the placement of stents (mesh devices that hold arteries open). When stenting is not possible, cardiovascular surgeons perform heart bypass surgery and in extreme cases, heart transplants. Cardiac surgeons repair and replace heart valves. Vascular surgeons perform angioplasty and stenting to open blocked arteries, particularly those in the neck and legs. Stenting is also used to reinforce aneurysms. Atherectomy, a procedure in which the arterial walls are scraped to remove blockages, and varicose vein stripping, a procedure by which varicose veins are removed, are additional procedures performed by vascular surgeons.
Education
Cardiovascular and vascular surgeons receive extensive education in their particular fields. Both specialties require four years of medical school after obtaining a bachelor‘s degree. Following medical school, cardiovascular surgeons are required to complete five years of training in general surgery followed by an additional two to three years of cardiovascular training. Two different programs for vascular surgery are available. The first is like that of the cardiovascular surgeon and consists of five years of general surgery training followed by two years of vascular surgery training. The second does not require general surgery training, but requires that five years be spent studying vascular surgery.
Tags: Cardiovascular vascular, Cardiovascular vascular surgeons, blood vessels, five years, general surgery
