Leaders in Treating Vascular Disease

Catholic Health’s leading vascular medicine and surgical experts provide advanced care and treatment for many vascular disorders affecting blood flow through arteries and veins, including varicose veins, venous reflux disease, peripheral arterial disease, carotid artery disease, critical limb-threatening disease, and aortic aneurysmal diseases. 

We know vascular conditions can affect not only your quality of life but also seriously impact your lifespan. Our personalized approach focuses on your diagnosis and the best course of treatment to restore you to good health. We offer preventive medical therapies, minimally invasive endovascular procedures and traditional open vascular surgeries. 

St. Francis Heart Center

Our vascular specialists offer surgical and catheter-based procedures at:

Vascular Disease Diagnosis

We offer advanced diagnostic testing, including:

  • Ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysm assessment
  • Ultrasound for carotid artery disease assessments
  • Peripheral arterial scanning for upper and lower limb evaluations
  • Lower extremity physiologic testing
  • Renal artery and intestinal artery duplex scanning
  • Computed tomography (CT) angiography
  • Magnetic resonance (MR) angiography

Vascular Disease Conditions & Treatments

All vascular conditions require an ongoing treatment plan you and your physician will discuss and implement. These plans include medical therapy, lifestyle changes, and aggressive risk factor regulation. In this way, you and your physician have the best opportunities to limit the impact of your vascular disease on your lifestyle and life. 

Endovascular (catheter-based) procedures have largely replaced the standard open surgical procedures for nearly all vascular conditions. In a catheter-based procedure, a catheter is used to deliver the treatment technology best suited for your particular diagnosis, with the benefit of outpatient procedures (no long-term hospital stay) being the likely process. A non-surgical approach means fewer risks than open surgery procedures, and outcomes are generally successful.

You and your physician will discuss when and if the anatomy or lesions would be best served with open surgical revascularization and make the necessary arrangements for the procedure. The surgical team at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® are nationally recognized experts in surgical revascularization. 

The following can be treated with endovascular (catheter-based) procedures:

  • Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
  • Carotid Artery Disease (CAD)
  • Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)
  • Mesenteric Intestinal Ischemia
  • Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
  • Limb ischemia
    • Acute
    • Chronic
    • Gangrene
    • Salvage
  • Pulmonary Embolism
  • Renovascular Disease
  • Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
  • Varicose Veins/Chronic Venous Insufficiency
  • Visceral Artery Aneurysms

Types of endovascular procedures include:

  • Angioplasty
  • Stenting
  • Atherectomy (Removes plaque-blocking arteries either in a rotational, directional or ablative manner.)
  • Endovascular catheter-based stent grafting (EVAR) (For abdominal aortic aneurysms.)
  • Catheter-based removal of blood clots. (Embolectomy/thrombectomy/thrombolysis.)
  • Catheter-based revascularization (In addition to stenting and angioplasty alternatives for no-option patients.)
  • Pedal entry/pedal loop revascularization/reconstruction (For limb gangrene or limbs at risk of amputation.)

Vascular surgery or traditional open surgery may be needed for complex cases. A hybrid approach can sometimes be used—combining minimally invasive endovascular procedures and open vascular surgery.

The following conditions may be treated with vascular surgery:

  • Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
  • Carotid Artery Disease (CAD)
  • Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)
  • Mesenteric Intestinal Ischemia
  • Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
  • Limb ischemia
    • Acute
    • Chronic
    • Gangrene
    • Salvage
  • Chronic pulmonary Embolism (CTEPH) endarterectomy
  • Renovascular Disease
  • Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
  • Varicose Veins/Chronic Venous Insufficiency
  • Visceral Artery Aneurysms

Types of vascular surgery include:

  • Endarterectomy/Patches. (Opens narrow or blocked arteries.)
  • Bypass. (Removes a blockage for people with severe disease.)
  • Open thrombectomy. (Removes acute or chronic thrombus through an open surgical procedure.)

Endovascular Surgery Leadership

Lawrence Garcia MD

Lawrence A. Garcia, MD

System Director of Endovascular Intervention and Vascular Medicine

Vascular Surgery Leadership

Dr. Richard Matano

Richard Matano, MD

Vascular Surgeon

Dr.. Dimitrios Virvilis

Dimitrios Virvilis, MD

Vascular Surgeon

Vascular & Endovascular Surgery Locations

St. Francis Hospital exterior

St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center

Roslyn, NY

Good Samaritan University Hospital

St. Francis Heart Center at Good Samaritan University Hospital

West Islip, NY

Mercy Hospital

St. Francis Heart Center at Mercy Hospital

Rockville Centre, NY