The multi-disciplinary clinic at Shaare Zedek for treating congenital vascular disorders provides professional and centralized treatment for these ailments.
These disorders are liable to develop during pregnancy and to appear from birth through adolescence. Approximately 10% of children are born with vascular problems or develop such problems in their early years. In most cases the problem goes away by itself. In rare cases the disorder causes esthetic damage or sometimes more significant and even life-threatening damage, manifested in pressure on the blood vessels and vital organs, swelling, edemas, etc.
The new clinic hosts a multi-disciplinary team including specialists in orthopedics, vascular diseases, plastic surgery, palms, EEG, imaging and hematology, who discuss every patient and help them choose the most beneficial treatment. The clinic also treats patients suffering from hemangiomas (blood vessel tumors), vascular or lymphatic abnormalilty and more complex cases of patients with multiple symptoms.
Treatment Methods
- Micro-invasive treatment at the Angiography Institute for closing blood vessels through catheterization. When tumors are benign, penetration into the problematic area will be through the femoral artery and the area cauterized until the vein or artery has shriveled. Preventing blood flow to the tumor will lead to its disappearance.
- Vascularization is another treatment method employed by injecting material that causes a shrinking of the problematic blood vessel.
Other patients need drug-based treatment, operations or a combination of the two.
The aim of the treatment is to reduce the growth’s pressure on the blood vessels, ease pain and swelling, improve esthetics and remove the threat of damaging vital organs.
Why is Early Diagnosis Important?
Early discovery of congenital vascular defects can prevent and reduce future damage. Fast treatment of these disorders enables proper and continuous conditions for growth and development and averts unnecessary suffering, both physically and socially.
At-Risk Populations
Congenital vascular diseases will usually appear in people without any particular family or genetic history of the problem. A minority do have a family history of similar problems or rare background diseases such as Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome.