Vascular surgery

Vascular services are for people with disorders of the arteries and veins. These include narrowing or widening of arteries, blocked vessels and varicose veins, but not diseases of the heart.

These disorders can reduce the amount of blood reaching the limbs or brain, or cause sudden blood loss if an over-stretched artery bursts.

Although all of these diseases used to be treated by surgery only, more recently, specialists have been able to treat many vascular disorders by reaching the site of the problem via the inside of the blood vessels. This is known as endovascular surgery, and is a much less invasive approach.

People with abdominal aortic aneurysms: This is a condition in which the main artery in the abdomen becomes stretched and prone to bursting. Timely detection and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms prevents later problems with rupture and bleeding, and can be life-saving.

People with strokes or transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs or mini-strokes): Sometimes, there are problems with the blood supply to the brain because of a narrowing in a blood vessel in the neck called the carotid artery. This can be treated with an operation to improve the flow of blood and reduce the risk of future strokes.

People with poor blood supply to the feet and legs: Some people, particularly those who smoke or have diabetes, can develop narrowings in the blood supply to their legs and feet. This can cause pain on walking, ulceration and/or infection. Surgical or endovascular treatments can improve the blood supply, make walking easier and prevent the serious complications of an inadequate blood supply.

LiVES (Liverpool Vascular & Endovascular Service) provides comprehensive care to patients with blood vessel disorders (diseases of the arteries, veins and lymphatics) in Merseyside and beyond.

LiVES is one of the largest vascular services in the country and currently also operates at Aintree University Hospital, Southport Hospital & Ormskirk and St. Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals.

The service is delivered by a team of highly skilled and experienced consultants who provide comprehensive outpatient and day case services at all of these peripheral sites.

Referrals are made via your General Practitioner (GP), other hospital departments (including Accident & Emergency) or, for complex cases, via another Hospital Trust’s Consultant.

All emergency referrals and inpatient care (treatment requiring overnight stay in hospital) takes place centrally at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Routine outpatient appointments and follow up appointments still take place at your local hospital site.

Patient will arrive in vascular clinic at their pre arranged time and report to the reception desk in the Vascular Clinic. They are then called for either a scan or to see the nurse if they have any dressings. Once scan or nurse dressing assessment has taken place the patient is then taken into see Consultant/Specialist Registrar to discuss results from scan and general consultation regarding their condition/complaint.

After consultation has taken place the patient will either need to have a redressing of bandages, or will be given further investigations to have done i.e blood tests, ECG, echocardiogram etc. Some patients however will not need any further intervention and therefore will be discharged back to GP.

On some occasions due to the nature of the patients condition they may be required to be admitted to hospital straight from clinic for further treatment.

Your admission may be planned, or as an emergency. When you first arrive on the unit, you will be met by a member of the nursing staff or by a ward clerk. If your bed is not ready when you arrive, the staff will show you to the seating area in the foyer. If you are able to drink while you are waiting – and have not been offered one, please ask the staff for a drink.

Often it is necessary to ask patients to arrive early, even though the bed will not be available until later. This is because important tests need to be carried out. The doctor may need to see you during this waiting time, or you may have to have a blood sample taken.

After surgery you may need to be transferred to the High Dependency Unit (8HDU). This will be discussed with you before your procedure. Also on 8A are post operative bays; room 7 (male) and room 8 (female). You may be nursed in theses areas after your surgery and then moved onto the main ward after a period of recovery.

If you have any queries or questions please do not hesitate to speak to the Ward Manager or the nurse in charge.

Ward 8A Tel:0151 706 2387/0151 706 2385

Clinic Scheduling

Monday AM at Royal Liverpool University Hospital (Professor Brennan/Mr Assar)

Monday AM at Aintree University Hospital (Prof Torella)

Monday PM at Southport & Ormskirk General Hospital (Professor Brennan ad hoc)

Monday PM at Royal Liverpool University Hospital (Critical Limb Clinic)

Monday PM at Whiston Hospital (Mr Scurr)

Tuesday AM at Royal Liverpool University Hospital (Professor Vallabhaneni)

Tuesday AM at Aintree University Hospital (Professor Fisher/Mr Smout)

Tuesday PM at Whiston Hospital (Mr Neequaye)

Wednesday AM at Royal Liverpool University Hospital (Mr Neequaye/Mr Scurr)

Wednesday AM at Aintree University Hospital (Professor Torella/Mr Naik)

Wednesday PM at Royal Liverpool University Hospital (Professor Fisher/Mr Twigg/Critical Limb Clinic)

Wednesday PM at Southport & Ormskirk General Hospital (Mr Assar)

Thursday AM at Royal Liverpool University Hospital (Mr Naik/Ms Sritharan)

Friday AM at Royal Liverpool University Hospital (Mr Smout/Complex Aortic Clinic)

Friday AM at Whiston Hospital (Ms Sritharan/Mr Twigg)

Vascular Specialist Nurse Clinic

There is a Vascular Specialist Nurse Led Clinic every day and a dressing clinic every Friday morning.

The hospital has adopted a policy of set visiting times of 2-4pm and 6-8pm. There is also a policy of protected meal times from 12 pm – 1pm. Visiting outside of these times is at the discretion of the nurse in charge of the ward. In addition to this, you may be asked to leave the room during ward rounds which are usually on a Monday and Tuesday at 2pm. This is to ensure privacy and confidentiality for patients.

Weekends can be more flexible, depending on the condition of the patient and should be discussed with the nurse in charge.

LiVES (Liverpool Vascular & Endovascular Service)

Link 8C, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool, L7 8XP

0151 706 2000

0151 706 5827

LiVES Main Site

Based at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital on Prescot Street, Liverpool 7, L7 8XP

• Vascular Ward - Upon entering the hospital, head to the corridor which has Pharmacy and Phlebotomy sign posted, then take lift to either 8A/8Y which will then bring you to the Vascular ward
• Vascular Outpatient Clinic- Upon entering the hospital head to the corridor which has Vascular Clinic sign posted, follow to end of corridor and the Vascular Clinic is to the right.

LiVES Satellite Sites

• Southport & Ormskirk District General Hospital
• Whiston Hospital
• Aintree University Hospital

Visit the Vascular Society website here

Visit the Circulation Foundation website here

Visit the NHS Stop Smoking website here

Visit the Limbless Association website here

Visit the Population Screening Programmes website here

Unit reported outcomes by the National Vascular Registry (NVR). A national clinical audit commissioned by the Health Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) to measure the quality of care for patients who undergo vascular surgery in NHS hospitals. Read more here.

The vascular team at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital is both nationally and internationally recognised as an innovative and respected clinical unit.

We are also proud to annouce that the LiVES team was also awarded the Royal Liverpool University Hospital’s Team of the year for 2013.