rEdEFInIng - Stanford Hospital & Clinics

CARdIoVASCULAR
CREATINg A PlAN
to
exceed
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ESSENTIAl FOR lIFE, THE CIRCulATORY
SYSTEM IS A POWERFul NETWORk OF
BlOOD VESSElS THAT DElIVERS OxYgEN
AND NuTRIENTS, FIgHTS INFECTION AND
REMOVES WASTE FROM THE BODY.
expectations
Return to TOC
mEETING ComPLEx CHALLENGES
At Stanford Hospital & Clinics, vascular surgeons receive
the most difficult cases from around the Bay Area because
they have the experience, equipment and expertise to
give people better odds for a positive outcome. Vascular
patients like Eugene benefit significantly from recent
technological breakthroughs, many pioneered at Stanford,
including high-speed CT and MRI angiography and 3D image
reconstruction technologies that give surgeons detailed
information about what is happening in the vascular
system. Another Stanford strength is minimally invasive,
or endovascular, techniques to repair aortic aneurysms.
These techniques employ a catheter threaded into the body
through a small incision and have reduced the risk of death
during surgical repair by more than 50 percent.
When 60-year-old Eugene lee arrived at his local hospital
after his right leg buckled beneath him, he was given
some disturbing news. “They wanted to amputate my leg,”
says Eugene, recalling the verdict that left him and his wife
shaken. Eugene needed a higher degree of care, so he
was transferred to Stanford Hospital.
A survey of Eugene’s circulatory system showed Stanford’s
vascular specialists that in addition to the aneurysm
threatening his right leg, he also had an aneurysm in his left
leg and blockage in his carotid artery. And Eugene wasn’t
just at risk of losing a limb. Another aneurysm in his abdomen
had swollen his aorta, and it looked ready to rupture. When an
aneurysm ruptures in the aorta, the main vessel routing blood
from the heart to the rest of the body, fatal effects can be just
minutes away.
“Multiple aneurysms are not uncommon,” says Dr. Ronald
Dalman, the Stanford vascular surgeon who received
Eugene’s transfer. “When you have four or five problems,
it’s about setting priorities and figuring out the best sequence
of treatment. What you need is a coherent plan.” Repairing
Eugene’s aortic aneurysm became the first priority for
Dr. Dalman and his team. Initial surgery stabilized Eugene’s
abdominal aorta, and subsequent revascularization
procedures restored blood flow to Eugene’s legs and repaired
his carotid artery. Eugene’s leg—and his life—were saved.
“I was lucky,” says Eugene. “I was at the right hospital with
the right doctor.”
“I was lucky. I was at the right
hospital with the right doctor.”
Eugene Lee
Cardiovascular Patient
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