The Cooper Vascular Center

Vascular Conditions

Carotid Artery Disease (Your Brain)

The main blood supply to the brain is carried by the carotid arteries. The carotid arteries branch off from the aorta (the largest artery in the body) and extend upward on both sides of your neck carrying oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Blockages or narrowing in these vessels fromatherosclerosis or clots can lodge in either in the main carotid arteries or in smaller arteries in your brain. Blockage in the carotid arteries can lead to a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke (cerebrovascular accidents or CVAs).

A CVA or stroke normally produces a sudden onset of symptoms. Depending on the artery affected, symptoms can include numbness, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, confusion, slurred speech or difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, vision disturbances, or loss of balance or coordination.

Peripheral Vascular Disease (Your Legs)

Narrowing or blockages may cause cramping leg pain in your calf and thigh muscles on exertion that gradually goes away with rest. This is called intermittent claudication. The condition can cause difficulty in walking, changes in skin color on your legs, leg sores or ulcers, further swelling and pain in your legs.

The leg cramping and pain is the effect of muscles not being supplied with enough blood to meet your physical effort demands.

Renal Artery disease (Your Kidneys)

Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of your fist. They are located in the middle of your back, just below your rib cage, on either side of your spine. Your kidneys receive the blood from the renal artery, filter it, and return the filtered blood to the body through the renal vein. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder. In the bladder, the urine is stored until it is excreted from the body. The kidneys regulate the composition of your blood removing waste and keeping the volume of water in your body constant. They are help to regulate your blood pressure and stimulate the making of red blood cells.

A blockage in the renal arteries can cause renal artery disease (stenosis). The symptoms include uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), congestive heart failure, and abnormal kidney function.