09/19/2024
The body is an amazing creation, a finely engineered machine that incorporates some of the most sophisticated systems ever seen. Within each of us lies a complex integrated network that rivals anything we as a species have created, from the supercomputer of the human brain to the tireless power plant of the heart to the brilliant framework of bones, muscles and tendons by which we move, work and live.
Not the least of these incredible structures is the vascular system, the network of piping that carries blood to and from organs and extremities. Maintaining this intricate system are vascular surgeons who work to keep the river of life flowing.
“The way I describe vascular surgery to a layperson is that it is a field that deals with pathology or disease processes of arteries and veins,” said Dr. Nestor Arita, a member of the vascular team at Baxter Health. “Predominantly, the territory of the vascular surgeon will be in the head or neck region, the arms, legs, abdomen and almost any blood vessel outside of the heart in the chest.
“In terms of specific disease processes, some of the most common disease processes we deal with are basically blockages or aneurysms that lead to different problems, depending on where they are located within the body.”
Arita is the latest surgeon to join the Baxter Health team, having arrived from a regional hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, in August. His arrival comes on the heels of Dr. Heath Broussard, who joined Baxter Health in March and also came here from Jackson, Tennessee. The two newcomers join Baxter Health vascular surgeon Dr. Kent Nachitgal to create a formidable pool of experience and expertise in the area of vascular medicine.
Read more in the Pulse Magazine feature at baxterhealth.org/LifelineWithin.
To view the entire issue, visit baxterhealth.org/s24pulse.
