GENERAL SURGERY

LECTURE 3
LECTURER AYESHA GUL
BS SURGICAL (RMI)
IQRA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY PESHAWAR
 ARTERIAL SYSTEM
• It’s a circulatory vascular system, which transport oxygenated blood from
heart to all body’s cells.
• The largest artery in your body is the aorta, which stems from the heart’s left
ventricle and branches out into smaller arteries throughout the body.
• Arterial diseases affect the arteries of your body.
• When they develop, oxygenated blood doesn’t reach its destination.

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 ARTERIAL DISORDERS

• Any physiological or anatomical abnormality occurs in the artery is

called arterial disorder.
• Arterial stenosis and occlusion
• Arterial dilatation

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 ARTERIAL STENOSIS AND OCCLUSION

• Arterial Stenosis is the narrowing of the artery while occlusion is a
blockage or closing. This condition reduces or prevents the blood flow
towards the tissues and cause ischemia and necrosis.
o Causes:
• Thrombosis, Embolism, Trauma
• Atherosclerosis
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ARTERIAL OCCLUSIVE DISEASE
• Arterial occlusive disease is an obstructive, usually degenerative arterial
disorder , it's the most common form of obstructive disease after age 30

o CAUSES of arterial occlusive disease include atheroma, thrombosis,

embolism, and arteritis

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o RISK FACTORS include smoking, advanced age, hypertension,
hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and genetic predisposition

o In arterial occlusive disease, atheroma partially or completely occlude

arteries; the aorta and its major branches, along with the carotid, vertebral,
femoral, iliac, and other arteries, may be involved, arteries in the legs are the
most commonly affected

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 ARTERIAL DISORDERS
o SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
• This disorder produces symptoms when the arteries can no longer
provide enough blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to the limbs and
remove the waste products of metabolism

• Acute arterial occlusion may produce the following five classic signs:
paralysis, pain, paresthesia, pallor, and pulselessness.

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• Other characteristic symptoms of arterial occlusive disease include
intermittent claudication and pain in the affected limb that occurs with
exercise and is relieved with rest

• Signs and symptoms can also include cool feet and hands with poor hair
growth, ischemic ulcers, changes to nails.

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o DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
• Angiography
• Doppler ultrasonography
• CT scan
• MRI

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o TREATMENT aims to prevent circulatory compromise
• Patients are encouraged to stop smoking, to exercise, eat a proper diet,
and lose weight, if necessary
• They're advised on proper posture and the need to wear non constrictive
clothing
• Medications such as pentoxifylline may be prescribed to improve blood
flow through the capillaries

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• Hypertension is controlled through drug therapy and lifestyle
modifications
• An antilipemic may be necessary to lower elevated cholesterol levels;
antiplatelets may also be prescribed along with antihypertensives.
• Thrombolytic therapy may be given to treat arterial thrombosis

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 ARTERIAL DISORDERS
• Surgery is used to correct the obstruction if the disease progresses rapidly
and the patient otherwise is in good health
• Angioplasty may be performed to reestablish blood flow
• Embolectomy removal of a blood clot, done when large arteries are
obstructed

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 ARTERIAL DISORDERS
• Endarterectomy is removal of a blood clot and stripping of atherosclerotic
plaque along with the inner arterial wall.
• Arterial by-pass surgery an obstructed arterial segment may be bypassed by
using a prosthetic material (Teflon) or the patient’s own artery or vein
(saphenous vein)

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