Health Articles
Dr. Tse Cheuk Wa: Minimally Invasive Treatment for Peripheral Vascular Disease
Serious conditions such as stroke and coronary heart disease caused by cerebrovascular or cardiovascular atherosclerosis are widely feared. With increasingly common risk factors including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, smoking, and ageing, blood vessels throughout the body may gradually harden, lose elasticity, thicken, calcify, or even become occluded. Peripheral vascular disease refers to vascular conditions affecting blood vessels outside the heart and brain, and atherosclerosis is a common underlying cause.
Dr. Tse Cheuk Wa: A Brief Introduction to Vascular Surgery
When vascular surgery is mentioned to friends outside the medical field, the natural response is often, “Vascular surgery? Do you mean heart surgery?” This article explains what vascular surgery is and how it differs from cardiac surgery.
Dr. Tse Cheuk Wa: Another Look at Surgical Subspecialties
General surgeons in Hong Kong commonly develop focused expertise in areas such as breast surgery, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, colorectal surgery, and vascular surgery. This article explains how patients are usually referred to the appropriate surgeon for more complex procedures.
A Toe Turning Black
An older woman developed increasing toe pain and dark discoloration that gradually spread. The case illustrates how poor circulation in the leg can lead to gangrene when blood supply becomes critically reduced.
Can Exercise Help Treat Arterial Blockage in the Legs?
Exercise is well known for improving general fitness, but it may also help patients with intermittent claudication by improving collateral circulation and preserving muscle function when lower-limb blood flow is reduced.
Weakness in the Calf: A Vascular Warning Sign
Leg pain is common, but pain and weakness that appear when walking and improve with rest may point to intermittent claudication caused by narrowed or blocked arteries rather than a bone or nerve problem.
The Fear of Amputation
For a patient who had already lost one leg, a non-healing toe wound in the remaining foot raised the fear of further amputation. The article explains how restoring blood flow may help selected patients avoid limb loss.
Sudden Leg Pain: Acute Arterial Embolism
Sudden leg pain without obvious injury should not be ignored. This article discusses acute arterial embolism, which can occur when a clot travels from the heart and blocks an artery in the leg.
Do Not Underestimate Diabetic Foot Problems
Diabetes can reduce sensation, impair circulation, and delay wound healing. This article explains how a seemingly small toe injury may progress when vascular disease and infection are also present.
The articles in this section are intended for public education only and should not be used as a substitute for individualized medical assessment.