While major vascular services are delivered at MFT, the team provide outpatients and smaller vascular procedures from a number of nearby hospitals, including Stepping Hill Hospital, East Cheshire Trust, Tameside Foundation Trust and Withington Community Hospital.
Vascular means relating to, affecting, or consisting of a vessel or vessels, especially those which carry blood. Our vascular surgeons are trained in the diagnosis and management of conditions affecting the circulation, including disease of the arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels. They treat all parts of the vascular system excluding the heart and the brain.
We provide the latest surgical and minimally invasive treatments for vascular conditions and have a research and education programme that remains at the cutting edge of the vascular world. Our service uses the most modern equipment expertly operated by trained specialists. We attach great importance to building a personal relationship with our patients. The unit hosts the regional abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme and Vascular Governance North West. We submit data to the National Vascular Registry; our outcomes compare favourably with peers nationally.
Conditions we treat
We treat the full spectrum of vascular disease and are a centre of excellence in the management of aneurysmal, carotid and lower limb ischaemia arterial disease. We are supported by an experienced anaesthetic department, cardiopulmonary exercise testing facilities, a large intensive care ward and leading cardiac and respiratory units.
Our consultants are among the most experienced in the UK for keyhole treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms, carotid stents, lower limb angioplasty and stents. We have particular specialism in the management of diabetic foot disease and limb salvage treatments. We also perform several complex endovascular procedures such as embolisation of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (blood vessel abnormalities in the lungs), mesenteric stents (narrowed blood vessels to the bowel) and distal angioplasty for diabetic foot disease.
Aortic aneurysms
An abnormal swelling of the major artery from the heart supplying the body with blood. There are two main forms of treatment that are offered: open surgery and EVAR – EndoVascular Aneurysm Repair.
Carotid disease
The carotid arteries run in the neck and supply blood from the heart to the brain. Narrowing within these vessels known as “carotid stenosis”, accounts for 20– 0% of all strokes and transient ischaemic attacks. There are 2 main forms of treatment that are offered:
medical (tablet) therapy and lifestyle changes and Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA).
Leg circulation
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) describes narrowing or blockage of the major arteries supplying the legs resulting in a reduced blood supply which causes leg pain (called ‘claudication’). Once peripheral arterial disease has been diagnosed, through assessment of symptoms, feeling the pulses in the leg, measurement of the blood pressure in the legs and often scanning the arteries , your consultant will discuss treatment options with you. There are three main forms of treatment that are offered: medical (tablet) therapy and lifestyle changes, angioplasty and stenting – artificial widening of the arteries, and bypass operations.
Varicose veins
A very common condition which in some people causes very little in the way of symptoms. However, some patients suffer aching, heavy legs, ankle swelling, bleeding, leg ulcers, a painful inflammatory condition called phlebitis, and discolouration of the veins. Treatment options are traditional open surgery or less invasive endovenous ablation
Thoracic outlet
A broad term that refers to compression by bony structures and muscles of the nerves, veins and arteries that leave the chest in order to supply the arm. Treatment methods we provide include physiotherapy and posture advice and surgical removal of the first rib or cervical rib in cases resistant to other treatment methods.
Hyperthidrosis
A condition that causes excessive sweating. It is considered to be present if the degree of sweating is out of proportion to the stimulus.
Oncovascular surgery – where cancer resection necessitates concurrent ligation or reconstruction of a major vascular structure. These complex, cross-disciplinary operation are carried out primarily at MFT and the Christie hospital.
Vascular Studies Unit
The Vascular Studies Unit (VSU) was established within the Main Outpatients Department at Wythenshawe Hospital in 2006. We have four purpose built state of the art ultrasound rooms with three fixed high quality ultrasound scanners and a fourth high-specification mobile machine to give us flexibility in terms of where we deliver scans. In recent years, demand for the vascular service has continued to increase and we now carry out around 13,000 investigations at a year at the unit.
We provide a full range of high quality vascular ultrasound investigations, and pioneer novel imaging modalities such as 3 dimensional ultrasound, pelvic vein incompetence and detailed investigations for vasospasm.
Research and Education
The Vascular Department has a long and established tradition of education and research that extends across decades. An extensive body of scientific literature and prize winning clinical research has been published by the vascular unit, and dozens of research fellows have completed higher degrees within the department.
Location
South Manchester Vascular Service works across a number of sites including University Hospital of South Manchester, Stepping Hill Hospital, Macclesfield District Hospital, Tameside General Hospital and Withington Community Hospital.
Within MFT Vascular clinic and Vascular Studies Unit is based in the “yellow zone”. The Vascular ward is Ward A1 in the “acute block’ (entrance 3).
Contact Us
Via switchboard 0161 998 7070
Ward A1 0161 291 6197