HIGHLIGHTS
PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL & VENOUS DISEASE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
COMPREHENSIVE VEIN CARE
COMPREHENSIVE VEIN CARE
The UAB Vein Program is the most comprehensive venous disease-based service in Alabama and has become an important resource for both straightforward and complex vein problems . The program provides comprehensive evaluation and specialized treatment for vein disorders , such as acute and chronic deep venous thrombosis ( DVT ), venous ulcers , iliac vein and vena cava obstruction , oncologic venous reconstructions , and rare disorders of the venous system , such as venous malformations .
The UAB Vein Clinic is the outpatient arm of the larger UAB Vein Program . Many minor vein procedures can be performed in an outpatient setting , including saphenous vein ablation and treatment of spider and varicose veins , with few side effects and minimal scarring . The Comprehensive Vein Clinic is one of only a few in Alabama accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission for Vein Centers .
HIGHLIGHTS
• UAB clinic expansion : renovation of clinics and addition of new state-of-the-art vein procedure rooms
• Complex , minimally invasive outpatient venous procedures can be performed at the UAB Vein Clinic , including : – Thermocoagulation , which uses heat to close the veins and render them nearly invisible – Sclerotherapy , in which a liquid chemical is injected into the vein that causes it to collapse and fade – Endovenous ablation , which closes off the blood supply to the affected veins – Microphlebectomy , in which varicose veins or vein clusters are removed through tiny incisions
• Expanded catheter clot removal options for acute and chronic DVT treatments
• Removal of chronically indwelling inferior vena cava ( IVC ) filters with advanced catheter retrieval
• Venous stenting for chronically occluded venous obstruction
First in southeast to perform VenoValve procedure
• Participation in the Venovalve clinical trial : US Pivotal Study – Surgical Antireflux Venous Valve Endoprosthesis ( SAVVE )
PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL & VENOUS DISEASE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
• Multiple innovative device and drug trials are ongoing for new treatments of peripheral arterial and venous disease .
• An active participant in research and clinical trials for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial disease . These studies include the multi-institutional , NIH-sponsored BEST-CLI trial ( Best Endovascular vs . Best Surgical Therapy in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia ), which evaluates and compares the outcomes of open and minimally invasive treatments performed for limb salvage .
• Physicians in the UAB Stroke Center participate in the CREST 2 trial , which is evaluating medical therapy for asymptomatic carotid stenting or carotid endarterectomy .
• UAB Medicine surgeons participate in the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative ( SVS VQI ), allowing evaluation of outcomes and national / regional benchmarking of outcomes and care processes .
18 UAB Cardiovascular Institute 2023 Annual Report