Overview
Vascular surgery is a specialty dealing primarily with diseases and abnormalities of arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels.
Patients requiring vascular surgery suffer from many different vascular disorders, such as aortic aneurysm, varicose veins, lymphatic disorders and diabetic foot complications. Some 50% of patients with vascular disease present urgently or as an emergency, many of whom require immediate complex major surgery.
Previously, vascular surgical skills were part of the domain of the general surgeon. However, the increase in the volume and complexity of vascular conditions and the development of new minimally invasive techniques has led to the need for vascular surgery to become a separate specialty.