Vascular Access Centers: News & Info

Vascular Access Centers Are Walking With The National Kidney Foundation!

vascularac — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:25:34 +0000

Thank you to everyone who participated with us at the National Kidney Foundation Trenton Walk on Sunday, May 23rd!

Taking part in the Trenton walk was a fun day for all who participated. Patients, family, friends, businesses and even pets had the opportunity to come together to support the millions of Americans with chronic kidney diseases.

Vascular Access Centers made the largest corporate donation for this event, and in addition to the money we donated on the corporate level, our VAC New Jersey team raised an additional $2,218! That’s certainly something to be proud of!

This money (and all money raised by the kidney walks) will be used by the National Kidney Foundation to provide free screenings and to fund education programs in order to help current and future kidney patients all across the country.

Beyond New Jersey, Vascular Access Centers nationwide have supported the National Kidney Foundation’s “Walk the Walk” in the following locations:

Atlanta, GA April 24, 2010
Durham, NC May 2, 2010
South Atlanta, GA April 24, 2010
Hyattsville, MD April 25, 2010
York, PA May 23, 2010

Upcoming NKF Walk:

Houston, TX September 19, 2010

So far, this year’s walks were a success and we’re already looking forward to supporting the National Kidney Foundation at next year’s walks!

Vascular Access Centers Expands Expand Quality Vascular Care Offerings With Four New Nationwide Locations

vascularac — Thu, 20 May 2010 21:01:33 +0000

Vascular Access Centers has recently opened four new locations in New Jersey, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. The newly built locations include:

• Peripheral Vascular Institute of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA
• Vascular Access of North Shore in Covington, LA
• Vascular Access of Bolivar County in Cleveland, MS
• Vascular Access of Jersey City in Jersey City, NJ

The Philadelphia location offers a wide range of services including Complete Catheter Service, Peripheral Arterial Interventions, Uterine Fibroid Embolization, and much more.

The centers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Jersey provide a comprehensive range of vascular care services, including Dialysis Access Care, Hemodialysis Fistula and Graft Interventions, Varicose Vein Treatment and several more.

With the opening of these new locations, we aim to improve even more patients’ quality of life by helping them to get the care they deserve.

About Uterine Fibroid Embolization (Part 2 of 2): A Major Advance In Women’s Health

vascularac — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:13:34 +0000

Nonsurgical Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE), also known asuterine artery embolization, is performed by an interventional radiologist, a physician who is trained to perform this and other types of embolization and minimally invasive procedures. It is performed while the patient is conscious, but sedated and feeling no pain. It does not require general anesthesia.

The interventional radiologist makes a tiny nick in the skin in the groin and inserts a catheter into the femoral artery. Using real-time imaging, the physician guides the catheter through the artery and then releases tiny particles, the size of grains of sand, into the uterine arteries that supply blood to the fibroid tumor.

This blocks the blood flow to the fibroid tumor and causes it to shrink and die.

For more information about Uterine Fibroid Embolization, please visit Vascular Access Centers at http://www.vascularaccesscenters.com.

About Uterine Fibroid Embolization (Part 1 of 2): What Are Uterine Fibroids?

vascularac — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:44:36 +0000

Uterine fibroids, which are very common non-cancerous (benign) growths that develop in the muscular wall of the uterus. They can range in size from very tiny (a quarter of an inch) to larger than a cantaloupe. Uterine fibroids are the most common tumors of the female genital tract. You might hear them referred to as “fibroids” or by several other names, including leiomyoma, leiomyomata, myoma and fibromyoma. Fibroid tumors of the uterus are very common, but for most women, they either do not cause symptoms or cause only minor symptoms.

Determining the symptoms: Is Uterine Fibroid Embolization right for you?

Most fibroids don’t cause symptoms—only 10 to 20 percent of women who have fibroids require treatment. Depending on size, location and number of fibroids, they may cause:

Heavy, prolonged menstrual periods and unusual monthly bleeding, sometimes with clots. This can lead to anemia.
Abnormally enlarged abdomen
Bladder pressure leading to a frequent urge to urinate
Pelvic pain and pressure

For more information about uterine fibroids, or to find out if Uterine Fibroid Embolization is right for you, visit Vascluar Access Centers at http://www.vascularaccesscenters.com.

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD): Should You Get Tested?

vascularac — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:33:00 +0000

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a common circulation problem in which the arteries that carry blood to the legs or arms become narrowed or clogged. This interferes with the normal flow of blood, sometimes causing pain, but often causing no symptoms at all. The most common cause of PAD is atherosclerosis, often called “hardening of the arteries.” Atherosclerosis is a gradual process in which cholesterol and scar tissue build up, forming a substance called “plaque” that clogs the blood vessels. In some cases, PAD may be caused by blood clots that lodge in the arteries and restrict blood flow. Left untreated, this insufficient blood flow will lead to limb amputation in some patients.

You Should Get Tested For PAD If You:

Are over age 50

Have a family history of vascular disease, such as PAD, aneurysm, heart attack or stroke

Have high cholesterol and/or high lipid blood test

Have diabetes

Have ever smoked or smoke now

Have an inactive lifestyle

Have a personal history of high blood pressure, heart disease, or other vascular disease

Have trouble walking that involves cramping or tiredness in the muscle with walking or exercising, which is relieved by resting

Have pain in the legs or feet that awaken you at night

To find out more about Peripheral Arterial Disease testing or to learn about PAD symptoms and treatment, please visit http://www.vascularaccesscenters.com.

About Vertebroplasty

vascularac — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:11:46 +0000

Vertebroplasty was first performed in France in 1984 to treat compression fractures caused by bone cancer or bone metastasis, and later to treat compression fractures caused by osteoporosis. Percutaneous vertebroplasty was introduced in the United States in 1994 and has become widely available since 1997 as a treatment for pain associated with compression fractures due to osteoporosis. The procedure has been shown to provide continued pain relief for osteoporotic compression fractures. A 1998 study by Dr. Deramond and colleagues reported on 80 patients with rapid and complete pain relief in more than 90 percent of osteoporotic cases. The follow-up in this patient population ranged from one month to 10 years with evidence of prolonged pain relief. Vertebroplasty is likely to become a standard of care for treating osteoporotic compression fractures as more patients and physicians become aware of the new advances in interventional radiology.

Vertebroplasty is an outpatient procedure using X-ray imaging and conscious sedation. The interventional radiologist inserts a needle throuh a nick in the skin in the back, directing it under fluoroscopy (continuous, moving X-ray imaging) into the fractured vertebra. The physician then injects the medical-grade bone cement into the vertebra. Vertebroplasty takes from one to two hours to perform depending on how many bones are treated. The cement hardens within 15 minutes and stabilizes the fracture, like an internal cast.

Vertebroplasty Services at Vascular Access Centers

vascularac — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Nonsurgical Vertebroplasty Is Effective Pain Treatment for Spinal Fractures Caused by Osteoporosis or Bone Tumors

Vertebroplasty is a pain treatment for vertebral compression fractures that fail to respond to conventional medical therapy, such as minimal or no pain relief with analgesics or narcotic doses that are intolerable. Vertebroplasty, a nonsurgical treatment performed by interventional radiologists using imaging guidance, stabilizes the collapsed vertebra with the injection of medical-grade bone cement into the spine. This reduces pain, and can prevent further collapse of the vertebra, thereby preventing the height loss and spine curvature commonly seen as a result of osteoporosis. Vertebroplasty dramatically improves back pain within hours of the procedure, provides long-term pain relief and has a low complication rate, as demonstrated in multiple studies.

If the vertebra isn’t shored up, it can heal in a compressed or flattened wedge shape. Once this occurs, the compression fracture cannot be treated effectively. It is very important for someone with persistent spinal pain lasting more than three months to consult an interventional radiologist, and people who require constant pain relief with narcotics should seek help immediately.

Symptoms of Peripheral Arterial Disease

vascularac — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:01:33 +0000

PAD Symptoms

The most common symptom of PAD is called claudication, which is leg pain that occurs when walking or exercising and disappears when the person stops the activity.
Other symptoms of PAD include: numbness and tingling in the lower legs and feet, coldness in the lower legs and feet, and ulcers or sores on the legs or feet that don’t heal.

Many people simply live with their pain, assuming it is a normal part of aging, rather than reporting it to their doctor.

Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease

PAD is a disease of the arteries that affects 10 million Americans.
PAD can happen to anyone, regardless of age, but it is most common in men and women over age 50.
PAD affects 12-20 percent of Americans age 65 and older.

Peripheral Arterial Disease Treatment at Vascular Access Centers

vascularac — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:59:24 +0000

In atherosclerosis, the blood flow channel narrows from the buildup of plaque, preventing blood from passing through as needed, restricting oxygen and other nutrients from getting to normal tissue. The arteries also become rigid and less elastic, and are less able to react to tissue demands for changes in blood flow. Many of the risk factors-high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes-may also damage the blood vessel wall, making the blood vessel prone to diffuse plaque deposits.

For more information about PAD, click below
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/pad/stay/
http://www.americanheart.org

Dialysys Access Care at Vascular Access Centers

vascularac — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:48:42 +0000

Fistulagram
These studies are performed to monitor the function of the fistula or graft. Several clinical indicators are used to determine the frequency of these studies such as high venous pressures, low flow rates, prolonged bleeding, difficulty with cannulation, weak thrill or bruie or pulsatile site. Our plan is to be proactive in the care and maintenance of your access.

Peripheral Arterial Angioplasty
Often times a study will indicate the presence of a narrowed area (stenosis) of the outflow vein or the inflow artery. It is necessary to place a balloon catheter across the narrowed area and dilate that stenosis to prevent the graft from blocking (clot).

Peripheral Arterial Stenting
Many times a narrowed area will not respond to a balloon procedure alone. When this happens and only if this happens we can place a metallic device called a ‘Stent’ across a narrowed area and use the balloon to open the stent and keep the narrowed area open.

Fistula Maturation Procedures
Your surgeon will place your fistula in your arm but it can take a long while until it is ready to use. We call this process ‘fistula maturation’.

Sometimes it’s necessary to study the fistula using our x-ray dye to ‘see’ if we can find a reason why the fistula isn’t maturing properly. We can then use our micro-surgical techniques to assist in the fistula maturation process by re-routing or re-directing the blood flow into the fistula.

Thrombolysis/Thrombectomy
Your access can get blocked for various reasons even under the best of care. Our center is open to keep your dialysis access open. Once your center has determined that your access has clotted, we can bring you in and set you up for your procedure. We will get into your access site, find out why it shut down, treat the problems and restore the function of your graft.

We can also treat your catheter if it gets blocked up because of blood or a fibrin deposit on the catheter. We can treat this using medication to dissolve the blood or fibrin, by mechanically removing the clot or by changing the catheter over a wire.

Vessel Mapping
This study simply involves placing a small IV in your hand to inject IV contrast (Dye) to show us, you’re Nephrologists and your surgeon where your veins are. This helps everyone plan where the best place to put a fistula or graft is.

Complete Catheter Services
Central Venous Access placement for Temporary use – There are time when your need for dialysis is more important than fixing your fistula or graft. You can have too much fluid in your system or your Potassium can be high causing you to be at risk for a heart attack. We can place a catheter in your neck or groin using our Ultrasound machine. Our Ultrasound machine can show us the best place to put a catheter without having to try several times.

Tunneled Catheter Placement for Hemodialysis- When you are new to dialysis you sometimes need to be dialyzed with a catheter until your fistula or graft is ‘ok’ to use. We can place this type of catheter across your collarbone and have you get the dialysis you need until you’re ready.

Access Management Services
We are committed to providing you with the latest in state of the art imaging, diagnostic and interventional services and education to meet your access needs. We will partner with you and your Nephrologists to develop a plan of care surrounding your access and manage your access needs. We can put you on a schedule to monitor your access and intervene as needed. Our goal is to Maintain, Preserve and/or Restore your access.