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Medical advances help Dr. Pradhan greatly improve vascular problems

“I get a real sense of pleasure that I am saving lives and limbs as a vascular surgeon,” said Dr. Sanjeev Pradhan, a surgeon at South Suburban Hospital and one of a handful of board certified and fellowship trained vascular and endovascular surgeons in the South Suburbs. 

For Pradhan, vascular surgery is a fascinating mix of medicine and very sophisticated, technically challenging surgeries.

Pradhan, who received the latest training through a Yale University School of Medicine fellowship, is using techniques that can reduce the need for major surgery, often by implanting the newest medical devices, such as a GORE Endoprosthesis stent, a combination of nitinol and a nickel titanium alloy scaffold that is covered with polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE, a type of Teflon fabric.

“These stents are strong and flexible,” the doctor said. “They have no shelf life and should work forever.”

One particular abnormality Pradhan treats is abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), known as silent killers. An aneurysm could go undetected and grow for years.

Pradhan hopes that patients don’t wait to learn that they have serious blood circulation issues, such as an AAA. Health screenings can save one’s life, he said.

“Previously, most victims died at home after experiencing the worst back pain ever (from an AAA),” said Pradhan.

Risk factors for developing AAA are highest for older white males, especially those with hypertension or high blood pressure, and a family history of AAA, atherosclerosis and smoking.

Previously, there was limited opportunity for repair, as surgery was often more risky than monitoring the aneurysm. With the advent of endovascular techniques, that has changed. 

“The limitations are not there any longer as we continue to progress with endovascular innovations. Using different therapies, we can repair an aneurysm before it causes any trouble,” the doctor explained.

“If you have any of the risk factors, get screened. Get screened early in life if you have a genetic tendency to develop AAA,” he stressed. “Everyone should get screened as soon as they turn 60, especially if you’ve ever smoked.”

The screening procedure is a painless, non-invasive ultrasound.

Pradhan adds these words of caution: “It’s always better to know and take action than go through a rupture – because you might not make it through.”

To contact Pradhan at his Vascular Specialists LLC office in Olympia Fields, call 815-824-4406.

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