in focus: vascular screening

PAINLESS TESTS HELP IDENTIFY
LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS

With her family medical history, Barbara Fisher thought spending $60 on three vascular screening tests might be a wise investment. The 59-year-old Superior woman was right.

Even though Fisher had no symptoms, a test found her left carotid artery – a blood vessel that goes through the neck to the brain – was more than 50 percent blocked, indicating she might be at risk for a stroke.

The screening at SMDC Heart and Vascular Center may have saved her life or prevented her from having a stroke.

Reed Whitney of Superior decided to get his “restless legs” checked for possible blockages. Tests showed his legs were fine but he had a small abdominal aortic aneurysm. Such aneurysms don’t cause symptoms but a larger aneurysm can be life-threatening.

“I was surprised, but now I know I’ve got to get it checked every year,” said Whitney. Early detection means he and his physician can watch for any changes.

Whitney, 51, admits he first tossed the letter offering vascular screening. Then he thought about a co-worker’s recent surgery to open blockages in his heart and legs and a 44-year-old relative who died suddenly of an aneurysm. Whitney quickly retrieved the letter and made an appointment. He’s glad he did because he may have never realized he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm until it became life-threatening.

Dr. Christopher DeMaioribus, an SMDC vascular surgeon and the screening program’s medical director, advised further tests to determine the course of treatment for Fisher and Whitney as well as steps they can take to reduce their health risks.

“[Those results] will give me more incentive to be proactive with my health,” Fisher said. “I don’t want to have a stroke.”

The vascular screening, which takes about 30 minutes, includes three painless tests to detect stroke-causing plaque in the carotid artery in the neck, an abdominal aortic aneurysm, and the presence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in legs. Peripheral artery disease – the buildup of plaque in blood vessels – is linked to a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.

Unlike independent mobile screening services, SMDC’s screening program includes a one-on-one consultation with a vascular clinic nurse who explains the results to the patient. A follow-up letter to the patient’s primary physician explains the findings and offers recommendations.

Screenings are recommended for people age 50 and older who are at risk for peripheral arterial disease. Risk factors include:

  • a history of smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol
  • a family history of aortic aneurysm


Barbara Fisher of Superior, Wisc., has her cartoid artery checked by Shirley Tratechchaud, a registered diagnostic medical sonographer. Screening tests at SMDC Heart & Vascular Center found her left cartoid artery was 50 percent blocked by plaque, which puts Fisher at risk for stroke.
 

Schedule an appointment

SMDC Heart & Vascular Center offers vascular screenings around the Northland.

The three tests, which cost $60, are for people at risk of developing peripheral arterial disease (PAD). No referral is needed. Screenings are not covered by health insurance or Medicare.

For more information, or to schedule a screening at one of these locations, call (218) 786-8318.

  • SMDC Heart & Vascular Center in downtown Duluth: Daily, Monday through Friday
  • St. Mary’s Hospital of Superior/Duluth Clinic-Superior: Aug. 7, Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11
  • Duluth Clinic-Hibbing; Aug. 28
  • Duluth Clinic-Ashland: Sept. 25, Jan. 29
  • Rainy Lake Medical Center in International Falls: Oct. 30
  • Duluth Clinic-Deer River: Nov. 20
  • Duluth Clinic-Virginia: Dec. 18

 

Watch video

Medical Insight: Vascular Screening with Dr. Christopher DeMaioribus

Learn more

Click here to learn more about the three vascular screening tests.
  • a diagnosis of heart disease or a family history of heart disease; and
  • leg pain while walking or pain the foot when it’s elevated in bed.

In the program’s first three months, 209 patients were screened and 44 people (21 percent) had symptoms warranting follow-up with their primary care doctor. The program expects to screen 1,000 patients in its first year.

Thanks to a $100,000, two-year grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation, SMDC is offering vascular screenings at locations across the Northland.

“We want to identify vascular disease so it can be treated as a systemic chronic illness,” said Dr. DeMaioribus. “By detecting vascular disease early, we can try to modify whatever risk factors we can, as well as enroll those people in surveillance programs to detect if the disease worsens.”