Vascular Surgery

Vascular surgery is the treatment of our largest blood vessels: the veins and aortas. Healthy blood flow, or circulation, is what keeps us alive. So when vessels become blocked or damaged, it can lead to pain, loss of limbs, and even death. 

Our Vascular Surgery team are expertly-trained in managing the body’s delicate network of blood vessels, with some trained in endovascular techniques – minimally-invasive procedures using small incisions. They treat a variety of conditions at Prince of Wales Private Hospital, including the following common issues:

• Aneurysm (ballooning) and dissection (tearing) of the body’s main artery, the aorta.
• Compression syndromes – Trapped blood vessels that produce pain, numbness and other symptoms.
• Extra-cranial carotid disease – Involves the narrowing or blockage of the carotid artery that supplies blood to the brain; often leads to stroke.
• Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) – Can be treated by destroying some small blood vessels to reduce the supply of water to the sweat glands.
• Occlusive disease – Where arteries become blocked or narrowed; usually related to heart disease.
• Peripheral vascular disease – Poor circulation in the limbs which can cause amputation; commonly associated with diabetic foot infections.
• Venous abnormalities – When leg veins do not pump blood effectively back to the heart and cause swelling, varicose veins, skin ulcers, and even blood clots. 

In addition, our specialists regularly assist Neurosurgeons in a type of spinal operation called an anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF). During an ALIF, the spine is accessed from the front of the body, instead of through the back. A Vascular Surgeon is needed to safely move the blood vessels aside for the chief surgeon.

Vascular Surgeons perform the majority of their procedures in the Hospital’s state-of-the-art hybrid operating theatre. This theatre is one of only a few in Australia. It has a moveable CT scanner and a modular operating table that provides surgeons with live, 3D image-guidance for complex endovascular cases. 

To find a Vascular Surgeon accredited to work at our Hospital, please refer to the Prince of Wales Private Hospital Specialist Directory.

If you would like to know more about our Vascular Surgery services, please contact:

Prof Ramon Varcoe
prof.ramon.varcoe@gmail.com
02 9650 4947