Albany vascular group lauds CMH;
presents new non-surgical procedures

(Hudson, NY - May 18, 2007) – “We’re doing the same non-surgical vascular procedures at Columbia Memorial that we do in Albany at St. Peter’s and Albany Memorial,” say surgeons Paul Kreienberg and Kathleen Ozsvath, of the Vascular Surgery Group of Albany, one of the nation’s pre-eminent vascular organizations.

“There’s no need to go to Albany for procedures related to peripheral vascular disease. The staff at Columbia Memorial Hospital’s vascular unit are highly trained and the suite is state of the art. There is no need to inconvenience patients -- making them travel,”  they say.

Kreienberg and Ozsvath gave that assessment in a recent presentation to cardiologists, orthopedists, pulmonologists, radiologic technologists, internal medicine and critical care physicians from Columbia Memorial. They spoke about the benefits of non-surgical, angioplasty and stent procedures.

Peripheral vascular diseases are problems related to circulation in muscle tissue where blood flow is insufficient to supply the oxygen needed to exercise muscle. Patients with these problems often develop pain in the legs, calf, thigh, foot, hip or buttocks. Sometimes the pain is so severe that patients cannot continue walking, according to the visual presentation by the vascular surgeons. The physicians also treat issues of carotid or cerebral blockages including non-invasive carotid artery interventions.

People who are at higher risk for these types of blockages are those who smoke, are hypertensive, are obese, have high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of peripheral vascular disease or heart disease. One in four Americans has cardiovascular disease. Seven to twelve percent over the age of 55 are at risk for leg amputation because of the severity of their vascular disease. Those with vascular disease are at risk for stroke, heart attack, rest pain, gangrene or even necrosis (death of tissue).

In a surprising statistic, the physicians showed that those with peripheral artery disease have a 44% greater chance, over 5 years, of dying than those with breast cancer (15% over 5 years).

In their presentation the physicians emphasized that now that there are more advanced procedures, there is often no need to do more stressful, invasive surgical procedures to alleviate the debilitating symptoms.

According to Ozsvath, the use of angioplasty (balloons inflated in plaque in arteries) or the placement of stents, which open the plaque, has increased steadily as physician awareness of the clinical benefits of these interventional techniques has grown.

The physicians have done more than 500 procedures in the four years they have been working at Columbia Memorial and are poised to do many more. The vascular surgeons indicate that now “vascular interventions rival open surgery for the effectiveness in treating patients with venous and arterial disease.”

The surgeons are available on Monday at Columbia Memorial for operations and consults. On July 31, they will open offices in the hospital’s medical office building.

Columbia Memorial Hospital has one of the most state-of-the-art vascular suites in the region. Surgeons from the Vascular Group of Albany provide the same services here that they do at hospitals in Albany making it convenient for patients from Greene, Dutchess and Columbia counties to receive  optimal care for blockages of veins and arteries.

---

Events & News - Job Opportunities - Community Health - Kaaterskill Care - Hospital Foundation - Services
About The Hospital - Departments - Family Care Centers - Physician Directory - Contact Us

71 Prospect Ave. Hudson, NY 12534 - 518-828-7601 fax: 518-828-8525
info@ColumbiaMemorial.com - Hospital Disclaimer