These include all endovascular technology such as angioplasty, stents, stented grafts and the use of growth factors, wound healing agents, etc. We are a NIH-funded center for the development of new surfaces and materials for implantation in the vascular system. Questions concerning the applicability of new technology to a specific clinical problem can be obtained by calling any of the surgeons in the Division or any of our associates in Interventional Radiology. We are one of the first centers to be trained in the use of the FDA approved Ancure device for endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms. An AAA is a ballooning of a major artery caused by weakening of the artery wall.
Surgeons often repair aneurysms to prevent rupture, which can be life-threatening.
In the study, endovascular repair required only two days in the hospital compared with seven after surgery, although some patients required follow-up fixes in the five years after endovascular repair. The study is timely because the Food and Drug Administration recently approved two endovascular stents. Vascular Surgeon Allen Hamdan, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston says patients and their doctors should weigh the pros and cons of each procedure carefully. With recent data that suggests increasing amputations of lower extremities due to complications of diabetes, there is a new urgency to prevent and treat these conditions. The center's regional leadership extends to offering continuing education for physicians.