Vascular (Arteries & Veins) Surgery

The vascular system is made up of arteries, veins, lymphatic channels and capillaries. Common conditions caused by vascular disease include stroke (the third leading cause of death in the United States), peripheral arterial disease, aortic aneurysms and vein problems, including blood clots, varicose veins, swollen legs and leg ulcers. Vascular disease may affect one portion or all portions of the circulatory system, and it can cause serious health problems and even death.

Vascular surgery patients at Northwestern Memorial are treated through the Center for Vascular Disease at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. Using a team approach to healthcare, doctors there diagnose and treat heart disease with a wide variety of therapies that sometimes include vascular surgery.

The quality measures we report are related to the more serious vascular diseases, like blockage or aneurysms in the arteries in the neck, chest or abdomen and blockages in the lower extremities.

Our quality measures related to vascular surgery are (some may fall into more than one category):

Volume

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair volume 

Carotid Endarterectomy

• Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) volume, AHRQ 

Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

• Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) repair volume

Outcome

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair mortality 

Carotid Artery Stenting

• Carotid artery stenting (CAS) mortality 
• Stroke following carotid artery stenting (CAS) 

Carotid Endarterectomy

• Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) mortality, AHRQ 
• Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) mortality, SVS 
• Stroke following carotid endarterectomy (CEA)  

Vascular or General Surgery

• Vascular surgery mortality 
• Cardiac complications following vascular or general surgery 
• Complications or morbidity within 30 days following vascular or general surgery 
• Death within 30 days following vascular or general surgery 
• Deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism after vascular or general surgery 
• Kidney failure following vascular or general surgery 
• Pneumonia following vascular or general surgery 
• Surgical site infection following vascular or general surgery 
• Unplanned reintubation following vascular or general surgery 
• Urinary tract infection following vascular or general surgery 
• Ventilator usage following vascular or general surgery

Safe Care

• Inpatient surgical care: appropriate antibiotic before blood vessel surgery (IHA)
• Inpatient surgical care: timely antibiotic before blood vessel surgery (IHA)
• Inpatient surgical care: antibiotics stopped timely after blood vessel surgery (IHA)
• Measures of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair surgery (Leapfrog Group)