Primary Care Physicians and Vascular Surgeons: Partners in Comprehensive Vascular Care

For more than 50 years, vascular surgeons have partnered with primary care physicians to manage patients living with vascular disease. Vascular surgeons are the most qualified experts to diagnose and treat vascular diseases, and they’ve pioneered the development of non-invasive procedures as well as operative techniques for conditions better suited for open surgical intervention.

This is particularly true at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute at UPMC Hamot in Erie Pa., where our experts provide specialized care for conditions ranging from abdominal aortic aneurysms and peripheral arterial disease to carotid pathologies, venous insufficiency, and deep vein thrombosis. UPMC Hamot vascular surgeons now also offer state of the art procedures for venous thrombectomy for extensive DVT.

“If you suspect your patient may be in need of vascular disease expertise, we strongly encourage and welcome a referral to vascular surgery experts at UPMC Hamot,” says Walter Rizzoni, MD, chief of the hospital’s Division of Vascular Surgery. “Only then can you be assured that your patient will receive an accurate diagnosis and the most appropriate care for their condition.”

Dr. Rizzoni adds that this care includes all available treatment options, including medical management, minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures, and if needed, open bypass surgery.

“Some specialists focus on one or two kinds of vascular interventions, so their patients tend to get those treatments. Vascular surgeons are trained in everything: open, complicated surgery and in minimally invasive, endovascular procedures. Some patients need one, some need the other, while many need no surgery at all. Vascular surgeons are “treatment agnostic,” that is, they don’t prefer any kind of treatment over another. Patients can be assured they will get the best treatment for their particular need. Vascular disease is all we do.”

Dr. Rizzoni further explains, “Vascular surgeons offer a myriad of minimally invasive options that result in shorter hospital stays and patients being able to quickly resume normal activities. It is our job to know when to stent, when to operate, and when medical therapy is the best response. And frequently, a combination of percutaneous and open techniques is required to optimally treat a patient. Only vascular surgeons can provide these hybrid techniques.”

Because vascular disease affects millions of adults each year, patients may also benefit from seeing a vascular surgeon if they have certain risk factors, such as:

• Atherosclerosis.
• Diabetes.
• Hyperlipidemia.
• Hypertension.
• Smoking.
• Vasculitis.

Collaborative relationships with vascular surgeons allow primary care physicians to proactively guide the treatment of their patient’s vascular disease. Fewer than half of patients treated by a vascular surgeon require interventions. So, early consultation could be vital to avoiding future procedures.

“And if your patient does require a procedure, our team at UPMC Hamot will consult with you and your patient to provide the most appropriate and personalized solution for the best long-term outcome,” Dr. Rizzoni says. “We want to work together with you for the advancement of vascular health and the development of an ongoing treatment program that will ultimately create patients for life.”

To learn more about the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, or to refer a patient, call 412-802-3333 or send an email to HVIReferral@upmc.edu.