Public Service

Northland DHB Vascular Service

Northland District Health Board (NDHB)

Description

The Northland DHB Vascular Service is run by vascular surgeons from Auckland DHB. For details, see below under "Consultants".

What is Vascular Surgery?
Vascular surgery is the branch of surgery that involves the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the vessels that carry blood away from (arteries) and back to (veins) your heart.
Vascular disorders include blockages and narrowings of the vessels, abnormal swellings of the vessels (aneurysm) or vessel malfunctions.
The disease processes involved in vascular disorders often involve other body systems and your treatment may therefore require the combined efforts of other medical specialists such as radiologists and general physicians.

Referral Expectations

When you come to your appointment, you may be seen by either a medical specialist or vascular surgeon. They will ask questions about your illness and examine you to try to determine or confirm the diagnosis. This process may also require a number of tests (e.g. blood tests, x-rays, scans etc). Sometimes this can all be done during one visit, but for some conditions this will take several follow-up appointments. Occasionally some tests are arranged even before your appointment to try to speed up the process.
Once a diagnosis has been made, your treatment will be discussed with you. In some instances this will mean surgery, while other cases can be managed with medication and advice. If surgery is advised, the steps involved in the surgical process and the likely outcome are usually discussed with you at this time.

Common Conditions

Aortic Aneurysm

This is the dilatation or ballooning of a section of the aorta which is the main artery coming out of the heart.… More
Carotid Artery Disease

You have two carotid arteries, one on either side of your neck, that supply blood to your brain.… More
Peripheral Arterial Disease

Peripheral arterial disease refers to the narrowing of arteries outside the heart and brain, usually as the result of atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries" (a build up of fatty deposits on the inner wall of arteries).… More
Varicose Veins

These are bulging veins that lie just beneath the skin (superficial veins).… More
Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that may occur over the entire body or only in certain parts, most commonly the face, underarms, palms of the hands and soles of the feet.… More
Ulcers

Vascular ulcers are open wounds on the skin that do not heal or that keep coming back once they do heal.… More