Concept in Definition ABC
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
By Dra. Maria de Andrade, CMDF 21528, MSDS 55658., in Jan. 2017
The angiology is the branch of medicine that is dedicated to the study, treatment and prevention of the disorders They affect the blood vessels, which include the arteries and veins.
Blood vessels are the structures that together with heart make up the circulatory system, in charge of transport Y distribution of various substances in the body; These include oxygen, nutrients, body waste products and carbon dioxide.
Arterial system
The arteries They are blood vessels responsible for the transport of blood and nutrients from the heart to the tissues. These structures have a firm, elastic wall that stretches with each impulse of blood from the heart, creating blood pressure.
This system is affected by various disorders, especially obstruction by the deposition of cholesterol plaques that give rise to arteriosclerosis, main responsible for heart attacks and strokes, which are the main problems evaluated by physicians dedicated to the angiology.
Other less common conditions that affect the arteries are dilations of defined portions of the arterial wall known as aneurysms.
Venous system
The venous system is made up of the veins, these are blood vessels responsible for the return of blood to the heart, so they allow the collection of substances from waste from the tissues but also bring the nutrients that are absorbed in the digestive tract into the general circulation.
The walls of the veins are thinner than the arterial walls, these structures do not have a muscular layer so they do not have the same endurance that the arteries, and even, tend to dilate and increase their size due to effects such as gravity at the level of the legs, giving rise to the main problem of the veins that angiologists treat such as varicose veins.
In some patients, varicose veins can cause fluid retention in the ankles known as edema, that in addition to having a bad aesthetic appearance can lead to the development of skin alterations such as ulcers varicose.
Main tools of angiology
Angiology has its own diagnostic studies that allow evaluating the circulatory system, these include Doppler ultrasound of the arterial and venous systems, arteriography, and catheterization.
These studies make it possible to define the state of the blood vessels and their walls, identify thrombi and obstructions, as well as carry out procedures of dilation of the blood vessels, as is the case with angioplasty that consists of the patency of the coronary arteries of the heart that takes place during catheterization cardiac.
This specialty performs various procedures in addition to catheterization, these include the performing bypass on clogged arteries, as well as sclerosis and vein resection varicose. Today angiology relies on novel therapies based on the use of laser platforms to carry out a large number of procedures.
Photos: Fotolia - Sebastian Kaulitzki
Topics in Angiology