TGH Ultrasound Vascular Laboratory

Tampa General’s Ultrasound Vascular Laboratory is dedicated to detecting and evaluating the presence of vascular disease.

We are proud to be accredited in all five specialty testing areas by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories. Only 50 vascular laboratories nationwide have met the commission’s high accreditation standards in all five areas. These areas include:

Carotid Duplex Exam -- This test involves obtaining images of the carotid arteries, the large blood vessels in the neck that deliver blood from the heart to the brain, and of the blood flowing through them. It is used to help identify the cause of stroke symptoms.

Peripheral Arterial Testing -- This type of testing is used to detect peripheral artery disease (PAD), a dangerous condition characterized by a narrowing of the arteries in the legs.  Patients with PAD can be treated via an interventional radiology or surgical procedure. The test is performed again after surgery to ensure the blood vessel remains open.

Peripheral Venous Testing -- Patients who undergo dialysis, have PICC lines, have a condition known as venous insufficiency/stasis, or who are confined to  bed for extended periods face the danger of blood clots in the veins of their arms or legs, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Peripheral venous testing can detect DVT. It is also frequently employed before orthopedic surgery for patients who may have been in traction and unable to move about for a while.

Transcranial Doppler Exam -- Using Doppler technology, sound waves are sent through the skull to detect blood flow in the major blood vessels in the brain. This technique is also used after brain surgery.

Visceral Vascular Doppler Exam – This test look at a patient’s blood vessels before and after an organ transplant. It is also used to evaluate blood vessels in the kidneys of patients with high blood pressure.

Vascular Procedures

Our vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists have extensive experience in complex surgeries and interventions, including groundbreaking procedures found in just a small percentage of hospitals nationwide.  Procedures performed at Tampa General include:

Angioplasty – This procedure is performed to open arteries that are narrowed or blocked by plaque. An expandable balloon is delivered via catheter that is guided through the circulatory system to a narrowed part of the artery. The balloon is then inflated, stretching the artery open and allowing blood to flow through. In most cases, the physician will implant a stent in the vessel to prevent it from reclosing.

Atherectomy – A procedure to remove plaque and fibrous tissue blocking an artery, usually the coronary artery. A catheter is advanced to an artery’s blockage, where it removes the plaque buildup either by a laser beam or a cutting device, allowing blood to flow through freely.

Carotid Angiogram – The carotid arteries pass through the neck to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the brain. During an angiogram, an iodine dye is delivered via catheter and a camera is used to examine the arteries for aneurysms, blockages, or other abnormalities.

Carotid Endarterectomy – The carotid arteries pass through the neck to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the brain. If one of them becomes clogged with fatty deposits called plaque, brain cells can begin to die, an event known as a stroke. A carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure in which the blockage is removed from a carotid artery that contains plaque deposits. 

Carotid Stenting – Carotid stenting is a minimally invasive procedure to re-establish blood flow through blocked carotid arteries, the arteries in the neck that deliver blood to the brain. A small metal mesh tube called a stent is implanted in a blocked artery to open a blockage and reduce the risk of stroke. The stent is delivered to the site through a catheter that is guided through the circulatory system from a blood vessel in the groin. Tampa General is the only facility on Florida’s west coast that is accredited by Medicare for this procedure. Click here to view a replay of a carotid stent procedure live panel discussion.
  
Dialysis Access – Dialysis is a procedure in which a patient’s blood is circulated through a machine that cleans it of impurities and regulates fluid and chemical balances. For patients needing long-term dialysis, an easy-to-access entryway into the bloodstream is created under the skin, usually in the arm, leg, or neck.

Endovascular Stent Graft – Aneurysms are balloon-like bulges in arteries that carry the danger of rupturing. In this minimally invasive procedure, a catheter is used to insert a slender metal-and-fabric tube called a graft into the weakened blood vessel, allowing blood to flow easily through the vessel and preventing it from rupturing. This procedure is usually performed for an aneurysm in the abdominal section of the aorta, the body's largest artery.

Surgical Aneurysm Repair – Aneurysms are balloon-like bulges in arteries that carry the danger of rupturing. Surgical methods can be used to bypass, replace, patch, or clamp off blood flow to the weakened area of the vessel. The strategy varies for each patient based on the aneurysm’s size, location, and risk of rupture.

VNUS Closure® – Varicose veins are caused by venus reflux, a condition in which valves that keep blood flowing through a vein become damaged or diseased. This minimally invasive procedure closes a diseased vein by inserting a catheter with electrodes at the tip into the vein. The electrodes heat the vein, causing it to shrink and close. After the procedure, blood naturally bypasses the closed vessel and flows to healthy veins.

Stenting – Following an angioplasty, a wire mesh tube called a stent is permanently placed in a blocked artery to hold it open, allowing blood to circulate through. Both metal and drug-eluting stents, which secrete drugs that help prevent the blood vessel from reclosing, are available.

Surgical Bypass – During this procedure, the surgeon creates a detour around a blocked area of an artery using a portion of the patient’s vein or a synthetic fabric tube.

Thoracic outlet decompression – Numerous blood vessels, muscles, and nerves that serve the arm are located in a small space in the upper chest called the thoracic outlet. A condition call thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) can develop if this space becomes narrowed enough to cause compression of the nerves or blood vessels. If an extra rib is the syndrome’s cause, part or all of that rib can be surgically removed, a procedure called decompression.

Thrombolysis – During this procedure, a catheter is guided through the circulatory system directly to a clot to administer clot-dissolving drugs or to mechanically break up the clot. Thrombolysis is used mainly in critical situations in which a patient is having or in danger of having a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism.

Treatment of Vascular Malformations – Vascular malformations are birth defects characterized by abnormal clusters of blood vessels. These malformations may cause problems with blood flow and can carry the risk of hemorrhagic stroke from a ruptured blood vessel. The treatment is determined by the malformation’s type, location, and risk of complications. Treatment options include surgically removing or blocking off the malformation or directing radiation to malformed vessels in the brain, which causes them to eventually close.

Vena Cava Filter – A vena cava filter is a metallic, umbrella-shaped device implanted into the inferior vena cava, a large vein that carries blood from the lower extremities. Its purpose is to prevent blood clots formed in the legs, pelvis, or groin from reaching the lungs. The filter is delivered via a catheter that is guided through the circulatory system. It is used with patients who have conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, which place them at risk for pulmonary embolism. A vena cava filter can also be implanted in trauma patients.