Mesenteric Ischemia

For any patient who is experiencing a buildup of plaque in their mesenteric arteries, lifestyle changes will help them feel better, head off worse complications down the road and give them better outcomes post-surgery. Adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle by:

• Quitting smoking.
• Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. Eating a low-cholesterol and low-fat diet. Cutting back your salt intake.
• If you have diabetes, managing your blood glucose and bringing your A1C down.
• Exercising daily and moving more in your day-to-day life.

Your vascular surgeon may recommend medications for a variety of reasons if you are diagnosed with mesenteric artery disease.

• Treating risk factors: Your vascular surgeon, sometimes in concert with a primary care physician or cardiologist, may recommend medication to control other conditions that can cause or worsen mesenteric artery disease. These might include:
  • Medication to lower high blood pressure or high cholesterol
  • Medication to lower A1C in diabetics
  • Georgia Heart Institute also offers a specialized program for patients who have tried medication previously to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, but have been unsuccessful at meeting their goals and heading off complications. Learn more about our Center for Cardiovascular Prevention, Metabolism & Lipids.
• Direct treatment: A type of medication called vasodilators may be prescribed to help improve blood flow in the narrowed arteries. These drugs target mesenteric artery disease directly by relaxing the arteries. These may be given in pill form or through an in-office injection.
• Treating for complications: Your vascular surgeon may recommend that you start taking a blood thinner. Individuals with narrowed arteries are at increased risk of blood clots, which can be life-threatening and can cause permanent organ damage.

For those who have developed a blood clot that is not an acute emergency or total occlusion, we offer a state-of-the-art endovascular suite to reopen the artery and, if necessary, place a stent.

• Balloon angioplasty: This procedure is performed by making a small incision in the groin and threading a catheter into an artery. Through this catheter, a tiny balloon is placed into the blocked artery and then inflated to create more space for the blood to flow.
• Stenting: During this same procedure, our vascular surgeons may also place a small mesh tube called a stent into the artery. This helps hold the artery open long-term so blood can flow to the intestines.

In some cases, a minimally invasive endovascular procedure may not be possible. Often, open surgery is needed when a patient has a severe or total blockage of a mesenteric artery. In those cases, our vascular surgeons offer:

• Arterial bypass surgery: Bypass surgery involves redirecting the flow of blood around a severe blood clot, restoring the artery’s function. The surgeon will either use a synthetic tube or harvest a vein from another part of the body, then connect this new “artery” above and below the blockage in your mesenteric artery, restoring the flow of blood and effectively “bypassing” the blood clot. This surgery is done under general anesthesia, and patients should expect a hospital stay afterward.
• Endarterectomy: In this surgical procedure, the vascular surgeon will open up the mesenteric artery and remove the plaque directly from the artery.This surgery is done under general anesthesia, and patients should expect a hospital stay afterward.