| Vascular Procedure |
| Raynauds Disease |
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| Raynaud's disease is a condition that affects the blood supply to the fingers, toes and occasionally the ears and nose. During a Raynaud's attack, the blood vessels constrict (narrow) and the blood supply to these areas is reduced. This results in several skin colour changes which are often accompanied by a throbbing or burning sensation, cold, and numbness. The exact cause of Raynaud's disease remains unknown. However, current research is coming closer to determining a probable cause. |
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| There is no known cure for this condition, therefore, effective treatments are essential. Most cases of primary Raynaud's can be controlled with proper medical care. |
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| Many people are able to find relief by simply adjusting their lifestyle. For example: |
- Protect yourself from the cold.
- Avoid excessive emotional stress.
- Do not use vibrating tools
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| For more severe cases that require medication, your doctor might prescribe drugs which keep your blood vessels from narrowing and help them dilate (expand), such as nifedipine, diltiazem, or nitroglycerin. Some of these medications may have side effects which you should discuss with your physician. |
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| Biofeedback has been demonstrated to be safe and effective for some individuals. This is a technique designed to help a person gain control over involuntary body functions, such as skin temperature, heart rate, or blood pressure. Biofeedback training is necessary and several methods are available. |
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| In rare instances, a sympathectomy may be performed. This operation cuts the nerves that may also be affecting the blood vessels to the fingers. This procedure is usually not necessary and may only work for a short period of time. |
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| If medical measures are not sufficient, surgery or balloon angioplasty may be advised. There are 2 major types of operations: revascularization, in which the blocked arteries are bypassed with either healthy blood vessels taken from elsewhere in the body (usually a vein in the leg) or synthetic material; or endartectomy, which involves opening portions of the diseased artery and removing the atherosclerotic deposits. |
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| Balloon angioplasty, in which a catheter with a balloon tip is inserted into an artery and inflated to compress the fatty deposits, is most successful for people with small segments of blockage. However, the area becomes quickly reclogged in about 30 percent of all cases, requiring repeated treatment within a year or two. |
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| Still another technique, laser ablation, which is being used experimentally in major medical centers, entails using a laser instead of a balloon to open the blocked blood vessel. The procedure is similar to balloon angioplasty; the laser catheter has a metal or fiber-optic probe at its tip. The heated probe then ablates, or removes, the fatty deposits layer by layer. Laser surgery has several advantages over conventional surgery: It is faster, entails a shorter hospital stay, and does not require inserting a bypass graft. |
