Vascular Surgery & Medicine

Vascular specialists help your blood vessels deliver all the blood and oxygen your body needs to stay healthy. Explore the full range of tests and treatments available from OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute and its network of clinics.

Diagnosing Vascular Illness

To learn about the health of your blood vessels, a doctor may order:

Ankle-brachial index – Compares blood pressure in your arm to blood pressure in your leg to help a doctor diagnose peripheral artery disease (PAD)
Magnetic resonance angiography – Uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and an injection of a special dye to show blood vessels
Pulse volume recording – Measures blood pressure and blood flow in your legs to look for PAD
Ultrasound – Creates images of your arteries and veins and may include Doppler ultrasound, which shows blood flow

Accreditation Means Excellent Care

Rest assured; we have the right staff, technology, processes and facilities to ensure accurate test results. These locations chose to earn accreditation in vascular testing from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission:

Peru, IL

920 West Street

OSF Cardiovascular Institute - Vascular Surgery

Rockford, IL

444 Roxbury Road

OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute - Vascular Surgery

Vascular Surgery and Procedures

When possible, your care team will start by recommending noninvasive treatments, such as medications or lifestyle changes. If a procedure is your best treatment option, trust OSF Cardiovascular Institute for high-quality care that improves your outcome.

Aneurysm Treatment

Aneurysms are weak, bulging areas in an artery. If they burst, they can cause life-threatening internal bleeding. A vascular surgeon may place a stent (tiny tube) in the artery to reinforce the weak area and prevent a rupture. The surgeon will take one of these approaches:

Endovascular (less invasive) – Makes only a small incision over a blood vessel and leads to a faster recovery
Open (surgical) repair – Uses a large incision to treat heart problems

Carotid Artery Disease Treatment: Stroke Prevention

If you have carotid artery disease, plaque (fat) has built up in the arteries that send blood and oxygen to your brain. This condition increases your risk of a stroke.

To prevent brain damage, a vascular surgeon may perform transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR). Your surgeon will make a small incision in your neck, clean out the plaque and place a stent (tube) to keep the artery open. During the procedure, a special device reverses blood flow away from the brain to prevent any clots from causing a stroke. That makes TCAR safer than other procedures that treat carotid artery disease.

Dialysis Access

Before you start hemodialysis for kidney disease, a vascular surgeon needs to make an access site in your body to connect your bloodstream to the dialysis (blood-washing) machine. The access site joins an artery and vein in your arm, and it’s called a fistula or graft.

IVC Filter: Preventing Blood Clots in the Lungs

If you have deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot that forms in a leg could travel to the lungs. There, it becomes a pulmonary embolism that causes trouble breathing. To prevent it, a vascular surgeon may place a small filter in your inferior vena cava (IVC) —a large vein in the middle of your body. The filter traps blood clots before they reach the lungs.

Peripheral Artery Disease Treatment

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the buildup of plaque (fat) in blood vessels outside your heart. The condition slows the flow of blood and oxygen to certain parts of your body, such as the brain or legs. To treat the illness, a vascular surgeon may perform:

Angioplasty and stenting – Inflates a tiny balloon in the artery to widen it and places a stent (tube) to keep it open
Atherectomy – Uses a very thin tool to shave away plaque in the blood vessel
Peripheral vascular bypass surgery – Reroutes blood around blocked arteries

Vein Treatments

Visit one of our Vein Clinics in Peoria or Rockford for treatment of varicose veins, spider veins or venous insufficiency. Most procedures are less invasive than surgery, and you can return home the same day.

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Hybrid OR Improves Your Experience

Your blood vessels sometimes need both minimally invasive and open (traditional) treatment. Surgeons can do both in the hybrid operating room (OR), so you get all the care you need at once instead of scheduling two separate procedures. That means less anesthesia, less radiation, fewer side effects and more convenient, affordable care.

Your vascular procedure may take place in a hybrid operating room at:

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Bloomington, IL

2200 East Washington Street

OSF St. Joseph Medical Center

Peoria, IL

530 Northeast Glen Oak Avenue

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

Rockford, IL

5666 East State Street

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center

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Ask for a Referral

Ask your primary care doctor for a referral to an OSF Cardiovascular Institute vascular surgeon in central or northern Illinois. Need a primary care provider? Browse our directory.

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