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Vascular Surgery

If you have a circulation problem that is affecting your health or quality of life, the vascular team at Indiana Regional Medical Center (IRMC) can offer the expert treatment you need right here, close to home.

Our vascular expertise

Vascular surgeons help people with conditions that affect veins and arteries outside the heart and brain, including blocked or narrowed leg, neck, arm or other arteries.

At IRMC, we have the expertise and equipment to diagnose and treat even the most complex vascular problems.

Whenever possible, we manage vascular conditions with medicines. But, if that's not enough to help you, our vascular surgeon can offer you minimally invasive catheter procedures and surgical reconstructions.

If you need vascular surgery, you will be in the very capable hands of a highly trained specialist. Your procedure will be performed by a board-certified vascular surgeon with many years of experience.

Smoking negatively affects almost every part of your body. 
Reviewed 9/18/2022

Smoking: The damage done

Almost every part of your body can be negatively affected by smoking. Take a deeper look and see the damage smoking causes.

The damage from smoking isn't limited to cancer. Smoking can harm just about every part of your body—sometimes in surprising ways.

Stroke:

Smoking can lead to blood clots and damage your blood vessels, increasing your risk for stroke. Those clots can cut off the supply of oxygen to your brain.

Vision loss:

The nicotine in cigarettes can spark chemical changes that make it harder for you to see at night. And smoking increases your risk for cataracts and macular degeneration—which can lead to blindness.

Aging:

Wrinkles around your eyes and mouth can appear as early as age 30, making you look older than you are.

Hearing loss:

Smoking can reduce the supply of oxygen to your inner ear.

Mouth sores:

Smokers more often get mouth sores, ulcers and gum disease than nonsmokers. And smoking dulls your taste buds, gives you bad breath and stains your teeth.

Emphysema:

Smoking permanently destroys small air sacs in your lungs, leading to chronic and incurable breathing problems.

Excessive mucus:

Smoking can kill tiny hairs in your airways that help sweep out mucus and keep your lungs clear. You might develop an early-morning smoker's cough as your lungs try to get rid of remaining mucus.

Heart attack:

Smoking raises your blood pressure, and the carbon monoxide you inhale decreases the supply of oxygen to your heart. Both of these force your heart to work harder, increasing your risk of heart attack.

Clogged arteries:

Smoking increases the amount of fats in your blood. These fats can clog your arteries—restricting blood flow to your heart and other organs.

Bigger belly:

Smokers have larger bellies than nonsmokers. A large waist circumference raises your risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Infertility:

Smoking can make it harder for both men and women to have babies.

Erectile dysfunction:

Men who smoke are more likely to have difficulty getting or keeping an erection.

Peripheral artery disease:

Arteries damaged by smoking can block blood flow to your legs and feet, causing numbness, pain and even gangrene.

Weak immune system:

Smoking damages your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off infections. White blood cells work overtime and make your body stressed.

Broken bones:

Smoking causes bones to become thin and weak, which makes them break easily and heal slowly.

Remember: Much of this damage may be reversed by quitting smoking.

Sources: American Cancer Society; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Smokefree.gov; U.S. Surgeon General

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Vascular surgery and other services we offer

Here are some of the vascular services we perform:

  • Preventive screenings for circulation problems, like peripheral artery disease (PAD).
  • Lower leg bypass surgery. This includes femoral popliteal bypass and femoral to femoral bypass. This surgery can help improve blood flow to the lower extremities.
  • Carotid endarterectomy. The procedure removes plaque from the neck arteries, which may help prevent strokes.
  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs. The repairs may help prevent life-threatening ruptures or tears of this critical artery.
  • Minimally invasive vascular tests and treatments (such as the placement of leg stents).
  • Treatment for non-healing wounds in the feet.

Vein Clinic

Our vein clinic provides the most advanced varicose and spider vein treatment options in the area. Unlike other vein care clinic’s, our provider is a vascular surgeon with vast experience in treating both veins and circulation problems. Vein care treatments are not just about achieving the best cosmetic results, although this is certainly a concern. Our top priority is to address the source of your vein problem to produce a healthier vascular system overall and lower your risk for a recurrence of spider and varicose veins. This means pinpointing the cause of your vein problem first, then follow a proper treatment protocol.

ClariVein IC

  • Used for treatment of vein ablations.
  • Procedure is done in the office.
  • Done by inserting an ultra-thin infusion catheter (tube) which disperses an agent to the target vein to shrink it.
  • This procedure is all done through one small, pin-sized entrance point, to prevent negative results that can occur with multiple injection sites.
  • No down time - you can return to normal activities after the procedure.
  • Covered by some insurances, if proven to be medically necessary.
  • Private pay pricing available upon consultation.

Sclerotherapy

  • Used for treatment of spider veins or smaller varicosities
  • Procedure is done in the office
  • Done by injecting medicine into the blood vessel or vein that causes them to shrink
  • Minimal discomfort during procedure
  • No down time

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