CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 3 your legs. Venous disease is often caused by genetics, pregnancy, jobs where you are sitting or on your feet for long periods of time. Diagnosis The medical management of peripheral vascular disease begins with the diagnosis of PAD and venous insufficiency. Advanced radiology examinations have improved our ability to diagnose these diseases. Valley Radiology and our outpatient imaging center located downstairs, Valley Regional Imaging (VRI), offers state of the art imaging techniques like duplex ultrasound, MRI angiography, and CT angiography with sub-specialized radiologists interpreting the studies. Treatment After the diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease has been made, what comes next? Does everyone need treatment? Will you need surgery? The answer is that most people with PVD do not need invasive treatment. Most patients have mild disease, which can be managed conservatively with medications, exercise, life style modifications or compression stockings. People with more moderate or severe disease, however, often do need treatment by more invasive means. The good news is that vascular surgery is now the second line treatment. In greater than 90 % of cases, we can treat both arterial and venous disease with minimally invasive techniques through a tiny nick in the artery or vein using radiology imaging for guidance. Using radiology guidance and small catheters about the size of a strand of spaghetti we can open blockages, remove plaque from the arteries and place a stent to improve the blood flow to your legs. For people with varicose veins or venous insufficiency we use a small laser placed into the abnormal veins with ultrasound guidance that will close the varicose veins. The blood flow then shifts to the normal veins and improves the blood flow out of your legs. Because these procedures are minimally invasive, we can do them with mild sedation, recovery time is fast and there are fewer risks compared to open surgery. Our vascular radiologists offer a full service outpatient clinic where we see patients for peripheral vascular disease. The initial consultation begins with the diagnosis of disease within the arteries or veins, often using specific radiology tests. Based on the severity of the disease we come up with a treatment plan which could range from management with medications or exercise to minimally invasive procedures. If a procedure is needed, these can be performed at our cost-effective, patient friendly vascular suite in our outpatient clinic. If the disease is more severe and complex, we perform the procedure in our advanced vascular suite at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. There are many options available for treating your peripheral vascular disease. Why not choose the vascular specialists that have more advanced training in both the diagnosis and treatment of PVD? The vascular and interventional radiologists at Valley Radiology are highly trained to offer these services locally making it more convenient to receive quality care to get your legs feeling and looking better. Grant Yanagi, M.D. Medical Degree: Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA Internship/Residency: Internship in Internal Medicine: Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Newton, MA; Residency in Diagnostic Radiology: George Washington University, Washington, DC Fellowship in Vascular/Interventional Radiology: George Washington University, Washington, DC Because these procedures are minimally invasive, we can do them with mild sedation, recovery time is fast and there are fewer risks compared to open surgery. Compassionate Care, Quality Imaging Advertorial

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