It is the surgical specialty that deals with the treatment of diseases related to the vascular system, which can be arterial, venous or lymphatic. The only vessels that are not addressed in this specialty are those of the brain and heart.
The main condition treated is peripheral arterial disease, a direct result of atherosclerosis. This is an increasingly common disease, affecting about 20% of the adult population over the age of 65. Depending on the evolution and severity of the disease, it can become disabling, leading to amputation or even death. For these reasons, the main purpose of vascular surgery is to save the lower limbs and reduce the number of major amputations.