Treatment Options For Vasculitis

Vasculitis is a condition that causes the blood vessels to become inflamed. The walls of the vessels gradually become weaker, scarred, thicker, and narrower, which can cause tissue and organ damage, due to blood flow to various parts of the body being restricted. There are numerous types of this condition, and the majority are considered rare. For some individuals, multiple organs are affected, while for others, only one organ is. Vasculitis may be chronic or acute. While risk factors vary, and certain types are more often seen in certain populations, anyone can develop vasculitis. Knowing more about the treatment options is essential for patients to make the best choices for their health.

Surgery

Vasculitis may lead to an aneurysm or blocked arteries. If these occur, surgery might be required to treat them. An aneurysm is like a bubbling or ballooning of an area of the wall of a blood vessel, and if it bursts, extreme internal bleeding is possible. Due to this being potentially life-threatening, surgical intervention is often necessary. This may be accomplished by closing off the aneurysm with surgical clipping or sealing it off through endovascular coiling.

There are four primary surgical options for a blocked artery. The first is placing a stent to essentially force the blocked part open so normal blood flow is possible. The second is fibrinolytic therapy, which involves directly injecting a drug into the blockage to break it apart. The third is an endarterectomy, which involves physically removing the obstruction. The fourth surgical option is bypass surgery. This includes either using a synthetic tube or a graft vessel from elsewhere in the body to divert the flow of blood around the blockage.

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