Main description:

In recent years, vascular surgery has emerged as a surgical discipline in its own right, as opposed to a sub-specialty of general surgery. An understanding of the basic science underlying vascular disease is essential for vascular surgeons at all levels of expertise. At present, there are no books dealing with basic science as applied to vascular surgery, and this text aims, therefore, to provide an up-to-date guide both to the mechanisms of vascular disease and to the current treatment options available to the vascular surgeon, be they in training or in practice. This is particularly important with the likely implementation of different treatment strategies over the next few years, including gene therapy, eluting stents and pharmacologic manipulation of the vascular system.

Contents:

Part I. The Vascular System: 1. Endothelium: structure and function; 2. Vascular smooth muscle cells: structure and function; 3. Vascular haemodynamics; Part II. Thrombosis/Haemostasis: 4. Coagulation overview; 5. Platelet function; 6. Thrombophilia; 7. Best medical therapy; Part III. Atherosclerosis: 8. Atherosclerosis: development and vascular biology; 9. Mechanisms of plaque rupture; 10. Best medical therapy for atherosclerosis; 11. Angiogenesis: therapy for PVD; 12. Raynauds, arteritis and small vessel disease; Part IV. Restenosis: 13. Vascular biology restenosis; 14. Restenosis: treatment options current and future; Part V. Arterial Aneurysms: 15. Arterial aneurysms: epidemiology and overview; 16. Arterial aneurysms: vascular biology Arterial aneurysms: future non-surgical therapy; Part VI. Biological Response to Vascular Surgery: 17. Stress response/SIRS/MODS; 18. Ischaemia/reperfusion injury; 19. Compartment syndromes: limb and abdomen; 20. Pathophysiology of pain; 21. Treatment of neuropathic pain; 22. Phantom limb pain; Part VII. Wound Healing: 23. Principles of wound healing; 24. Varicose veins: principles and vascular biology; Part VIII. Chronic venous insufficiency and leg ulceration: principles and vascular biology: 25. Diabetic foot: principles and vascular biology; 26. Lymphoedema: principles and pathophysiology; Part IX. Responses to Implanted Grafts: 27. Graft materials: past and future; 28. Graft infection.