Vascular health, explained by your surgeon

Plain answers about leg swelling, varicose veins, artery disease, and blood clots, written by the vascular surgeon who treats them.

3D illustration of a carotid artery narrowed by plaque where it branches, with the brain highlighted in the background
Conditions

Carotid artery disease: what a narrowed neck artery means for stroke risk

Carotid narrowing often causes no symptoms until a stroke. Here are the warning signs, who should be checked, and when treatment means surgery.

Joseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJoseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSSeptember 29, 2026
Leg Pain Relief at Complete Vascular Care
Conditions

Leg pain when you walk: is it peripheral artery disease?

Calf pain that starts at a set walking distance and eases with rest is a classic sign of PAD. Here is what causes it, who is at risk, and how it is treated.

Joseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJoseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSSeptember 22, 2026
Gloved hands advancing a catheter over a guidewire in an angiography suite, imaging monitors behind
Treatments

What is a minimally invasive procedure for PAD?

Angiogram, angioplasty, atherectomy, stent, thrombolysis, embolization. A plain explanation of the terms and what each one actually does inside the artery.

Joseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJoseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJanuary 31, 2021
Anatomical model of the abdominal aorta showing a bulging aneurysm above the iliac branches
Conditions

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

An aneurysm is an abnormal dilatation of an artery above a certain size. In the aorta, the most common place this happens is the abdomen, and screening usually finds it.

Joseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJoseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJanuary 31, 2021
Illustration of the pulmonary artery tree with a clot wedged at a branch point inside the lung
Conditions

What is a Pulmonary Embolus (PE)?

When a clot in the vein breaks off and travels north, it passes through the heart and into the arteries feeding the lungs. Here is why that causes trouble.

Joseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJoseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJanuary 31, 2021
Cross-section illustration of a deep leg vein with a blood clot lodged against the valve, blocking the channel
Conditions

What is a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)?

A deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that forms most commonly in the deep veins of the leg. Here is what causes one, how it presents, and why it matters.

Joseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJoseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJanuary 31, 2021
Vascular surgeon in scrubs and surgical loupes working over a sterile draped field in an operating room
Patient Guide

What is a vascular surgeon?

I get asked this a lot. A vascular surgeon is first and foremost a surgeon, trained in both open and minimally invasive technique, and that training changes what we can offer you.

Joseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJoseph M. Caruso, MD, FACSJanuary 31, 2021

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