Dr. Xzabia Caliste, a board-certified vascular surgeon, is working to change public understanding of PAD, a condition more commonly associated with heart disease. PAD causes blockage in the vessels

Dr. Caliste says the biggest barrier is a lack of knowledge on both sides. Most people don’t realize their leg and foot pain is caused by poor blood flow, so they can’t connect what they’re feeling to

Johnston’s story is not typical, as it’s less common for women to be diagnosed with breast cancer that young, even though rates have increased in recent years. But the road to getting a diagnosis

Dr. Neel Mansukhani, a vascular surgeon at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, explained why this condition can become life-threatening so quickly. "The aorta is the main blood vessel that comes off of

A dissection occurs when "the inner layer [of the aorta] rips," he says. "It's like a three-ply hose and when the inner layer rips, the aorta starts to unravel." An interior rip can cause the giant

While the condition is considered rare, Everett said he regularly sees patients for aortic dissection. “As a vascular surgeon, I see a dissection of the lower portion of the artery, the descending

UAB vascular surgeon Dr. Adam Beck described the condition as dangerous and potentially fatal. "It's a very severe, abrupt chest or back pain, and patients will often describe it as the most severe

Most people who present with aortic dissections have had a long-standing history of uncontrolled high blood pressure, and on top of atherosclerosis, which is kind of the hardening of the blood vessels