Vascular Medicine Center

The Vascular Medicine Center at Tufts Medical Center in Boston is comprised of multi-specialty vascular physicians for patients with Vascular Disease.  Vascular surgeons, cardiologists, interventional radiologists, podiatrists, and infectious disease specialists provide comprehensive and state-of-the-art care.  In accordance with each patients needs, the vascular physicians evaluate each patient’s unique situation bringing to bare expertise from many different fields.  The goal is to provide our patients with an evaluation that encompasses all elements of vascular medicine and a care plan that emphasizes efficacy and efficiency while reducing risk. 

Vascular Disease refers to problems that affect arterial circulation (Peripheral Arterial Disease or PAD), venous circulation, and improper wound healing from lack of blood flow.  Very specific problems can arise from each of these areas:

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD):   Vascular Disease involving the arteries may lead to reduced blood flow to the legs, brain, and kidney.  PAD can lead to symptoms that impact daily life (leg pain or claudication with walking) and can cause damage to vital parts of the body including: carotid artery disease causing stroke, renal artery disease causing kidney damage, and leg arteries causing skin damage (ulcers and gangrene).  PAD can also lead to a weakening of the large arteries of the body making them prone to dilation and rupture (aortic aneurysm).

 

Chronic Venous Disease:  Veins are responsible for directing blood from the legs and arms back to the heart.  Venous disease is a problem where the veins are damaged or blocked by blood clots, scar tissue, or a natural propensity to dilate, preventing the efficient return of blood to the heart. This leads to a gradual enlargement of the veins and a leaking of fluid from them leading to swollen discolored legs and skin breakdown.  Untreated venous disease can lead to skin infections, blood clots and severe leg swelling (edema) which can dramatically affect quality of life.

 

Wound Healing:  Most wounds resulting from surgery or from the trauma of daily living will heal quickly and safely. However many people have wounds which for any number of reasons fail to progress quickly toward healing.  Many factors such as poor blood flow, diabetes, kidney disease, infection, immune diseases, orthopedic issues, and many others, are commonly identified in patients with hard to heal wounds.  If not attended to appropriately, these challenging wounds can worsen, resulting in additional pain, immobility, and in the most severe cases gangrene and limb loss.   We provide careful attention to the whole patient providing not only state of the art wound care but a comprehensive approach to all of the factors affecting wound healing.

 

Vascular Medicine Center Clinical Services

 

Our vascular clinical service offerings include:

• Outpatient Consultation
• The Vein Center
• Center for Wound Healing
• Vascular Surgery

Vascular Medicine Center Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services

 

Our vascular diagnostic and therapeutic offerings include:

• Non-Invasive Vascular Hemodynamics and Duplex Ultrasound Imaging
• Computed Tomographic Angiography (CTA)
• Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA)
• Invasive Diagnostic Angiography
• Catheter Based (Endovascular) Therapeutics (Angioplasty, Stent, Stent Graft, Plaque Excision, Laser plaque ablation, Cryo balloon PTA, Rotational Atherectomy)

Vascular Medicine Center Experts:

 

Vascular Surgeons       

• Mark D. Iafrati, MD, Director
• James E. Estes, MD
• William C. Mackey, MD
• Thomas F. O'Donnell, MD
• Noah Rosen, MD

Interventional Radiologists

• Neil Halin, DO, Associate Director
• Kevin Daly, MD
• Joseph F. Polak, MD, MPH
• E. Kent Yucel, MD

Interventional Cardiologist

• Andrew R. Weintraub, MD, Associate Director

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