Department of Vascular Surgery @ Ospedale San Raffaele
Major vascular pathologies develop in the arterial circulation, which brings the blood filled with oxygen and nutrients to the cells. These diseases affect, in particular, the population aged 50 and over. The most serious consequences of these diseases can cause thrombosis, stroke, limb ischemia and internal bleeding (rupture of aneurysm) with sometimes disabling or lethal outcomes.
The Vascular Surgery Unit is highly specialised in the treatment of all vascular pathologies. It carries out more than 2.500 admissions with over 2.100 vascular and endovascular surgical procedures every year (10% are of urgent character), particularly on the abdominal and thoracic aorta, on the carotid arteries, on arteries in general and on the veins of the lower limbs region. It carries out over 20.000 ultrasound examinations, 10.000 standard and advanced medications programmes and 9.000 outpatient consultations per year, both for the first diagnosis of vascular disease, and for the follow up of patients who’ve previously had vascular procedures.
For the diseases of arterial pathology highlighted below, the treatments currently in use are: direct surgical treatment (open), endovascular surgical treatment, and mixed (hybrid) surgical treatment. Disorders of the venous circulation, on the other hand, normally have milder consequences than those of arterial pathologies, but affect a very large population and in advanced stages can be extremely disabling. The Unit provides a complete range of treatments for such pathologies as well.
Our excellence in numbers
Conditions we take care of at this Department
Top procedures performed
Notable advanced technological equipment
- Endovascular grafts custom-made on specific patients' anatomy
- High-quality cath-lab and two portably angiographic units for minimally invasive endovascular procedures
Meet our team
Head physician
Roberto Chiesa
Featured physicians
The San Raffaele Research Hospital is a highly specialized multi-disciplinary medical center of world importance, which embodies the integrity of the treatment, clinical research and teaching activities. San Raffaele provides treatment in all existing medical fields, which allows this center to take care of the most complex patient cases. The Hospital is recognized as IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Research and Healthcare) for its research in molecular medicine and innovative treatments application, such as the gene therapy.
The hospital is a multi-specialty center with more than 50 clinical specialties available and with over 1600 beds; it is accredited by the Italian National Health System to provide care to both public and private, Italian and international patients. In 2018 the San Raffaele Hospital performed over 51,000 patient admissions, 72,000 emergency room encounters and delivered over 1.5 million outpatient medical services. It is widely regarded as the most celebrated hospital in the country and among the most reputable medical centers in Europe. San Raffaele’s wards and operating theatres are equipped with the most advanced machines, such as PET, PET/CT, Gamma Knife, Cyber Knife, Rapid Arc, Tomotherapy. San Raffaele’s Radiotherapy Unit was the first place in Europe to install Tomotherapy in 2004. Nowadays this Unit confirms to be one of the most experienced worldwide; it has developed numerous protocols for cancer treatment of the prostate, breast, central nervous system, brain, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and others. The Oncological Board of the Hospital consisting of diagnosticians, clinical oncologists, immunologists, surgeons and radiotherapists, hold weekly meetings to discuss oncological patients’ pathways in a multidisciplinary manner.
Beside its Cancer Center, San Raffaele is well-known for its medical know-how in cardiology and cardiac surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal tract surgery, liver surgery, pancreas surgery, transplant medicine, gynecology and obstetrics, urology, dermatology, ophthalmology, immunology, rheumatology and pediatrics.
San Raffaele is a pioneer in the field of gene medicine and treatment of rare immunologic and genetic diseases. San Raffaele Scientific Institute is where the first in the world gene therapy with stem cells was created, named Strimvelis, for patients affected by ADA-SCID syndrome.
The Research at the San Raffaele Hospital focuses on integrating basic, translational and clinical research to provide the most advanced care to the patients. It counts on over 1,500 scientists, working in state-of-the-art facilities covering a surface of 130,000 square meters, and have produced over 1,446 scientific publications in 2018. Research at San Raffaele aims at understanding the mechanisms underlying a variety of important human diseases and at identifying new targets and new therapeutic strategies to treat them.
The San Raffaele Hospital hosts the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, a fully private university with a complete Medical School (including specialty courses and residencies), Nursing School, a Psychology graduate and post-graduate programs, and Allied Health Professions School. The mission of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University is to answer the question "Quid est homo?" in the belief that the human being is a biological, psychological and spiritual unicum. Since 2010 the San Raffaele Hospital also hosts the International MD Program, the only graduate program accredited to license Medical Doctors in both Europe and North America.
Explore other Departments of Ospedale San Raffaele