Vascular Surgeons of Hartford, CT

Vascular surgery is the treatment of surgery on diagnosed patients with diseases of the arterial, venous, and lymphatic systems (excluding the intracranial and coronary arteries).

Vascular surgery is indicated when a patient has vascular disease that cannot be treated by less invasive, nonsurgical treatments. The purpose of vascular surgery is to treat vascular diseases, which are diseases of the arteries and veins. Arterial disease is a condition in which blood clots, arteriosclerosis, and other vascular conditions occur in the arteries. Venous disease involves problems that occur in the veins. Some vascular conditions occur only in arteries, others occur only in the veins, and some affect both veins and arteries.

Vascular Surgeons

A vascular surgeon specializes in the treatment of disorders of the vascular and lymphatic systems. The vascular system consists of all the body's arteries and veins, while the lymphatic system transports vital blood components from the veins and arteries to the cells. A vascular surgeon performs nearly all venal or arterial surgery, with the exception of procedures done to vessels within the brain and heart - these are typically performed by a neurosurgeon or cardiothoracic surgeon.

Vascular surgeons, sometimes referred to as vascular surgical physicians, may prescribe medication or therapy, order non-invasive diagnostic testing and perform a variety of diagnostic and surgical procedures. While traditional vascular surgery usually focused on the treatment conditions such as aneurysms and embolisms, current vascular surgery includes many endovascular procedures. Endovascular procedures generally involve the placement of catheters or stents to maintain open arteries or veins. Vascular surgery is also often used to treat abdominal aneurysms or help prevent strokes. If found in advance, a vascular specialist may surgically treat blocked arteries in the neck or upper chest to help prevent a possible stroke. A vascular surgeon may also surgically address vascular trauma or surgically redirect blood vessels in patients with poor circulation due to conditions such as diabetes and peripheral vascular disease.

Vascular surgery involves techniques relating to endovascular surgeries including: balloon angioplasty and/or stenting, aortic and peripheral vascular endovascular stent/graft placement, thrombolysis, and other adjuncts for vascular reconstruction. The vascular system is the network of blood vessels that circulate blood to and from the heart and lungs. The circulatory system (made up of the heart, arteries, veins, capillaries, and the circulating blood) provides nourishment to the body's cells and removes their waste. The arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the cells. The veins return the blood from the cells back to the lungs for reoxygenation and recirculation by the heart. The aorta is the largest artery leaving the heart; it then subdivides into smaller arteries going to every part of the body. The arteries, as they narrow, are connected to smaller vessels called capillaries. In these capillaries, oxygen and nutrients are released from the blood into the cells, and cellular wastes are collected for the return trip. The capillaries then connect to veins, which return the blood back to the heart. The aorta stems from the heart, arches upward, and then continues down through the chest (thorax) and the abdomen. The iliac arteries, which branch out from the aorta, provide blood to the pelvis and legs. The thoracic section of the aorta supplies blood to the upper body, as it continues through the chest. The abdominal section of the aorta, which supplies blood to the lower body, continues through the abdomen. Vascular diseases are usually caused by conditions that clog or weaken blood vessels, or damage valves that control the flow of blood in and out of the veins, thus robbing them of vital blood nutrients and oxygen. A few common diseases affecting the arteries are peripheral vascular disease (PVD), carotid artery disease, and aortic aneurysms (AAA). Surgery is used to treat specific diseased arteries, such as atherosclerosis, to help prevent strokes or heart attacks, improve or relieve angina or hypertension, remove aneurysms, improve claudication, and save legs that would otherwise have to be amputated. The choices involve repairing the artery, bypassing it, or replacing it.


Vascular Surgeons Hartford

Henry B.C. Low, M.D.
Following completion of his studies at the School of Medicine, St. John’s University, in Shanghai, China in 1949, Dr. Low completed his extensive postgraduate training in the United States. In 1952, he joined Hartford Hospital’s Medical Staff where he served as a resident in Pathology, followed by a residency in Surgery.  In 1957, Dr. Low trained as a Fellow in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia, and in 1958 joined the U.S. Army, where he served as a captain in the Medical Corp.  In 1960 he resumed his training in cardiothoracic surgery as a Fellow under Dwight E. Harken, MD, in Boston, and in 1961 returned to Hartford Hospital to start his career as a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Dr. Low is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He is a Fellow of American College of Surgeons. He belongs to numerous surgical and medical societies, locally, nationally and internationally.

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Paul L. Preissler, M.D.
Paul Preissler, MD, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Connecticut Health Center/John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington, is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Saint Mary's Hospital, Waterbury Hospital, Hartford Hospital and John Dempsey Hospital. A graduate of the UConn School of Medicine in Farmington, Dr. Preissler completed a general surgery residency at Hartford Hospital and a thoracic and cardiovascular surgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals. In addition, he is an instructor of thoracic anatomy at the UConn School of Medicine. Board certified in surgery and thoracic surgery, Dr. Preissler is a member of Connecticut Cardiothoracic Surgical Associates, a private practice for cardiothoracic and vascular surgery in Hartford.

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Jonathan A. Hammond, M.D.
Jonathan Hammond, Jr., MD, is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Saint Mary's Hospital, Waterbury Hospital, Hartford Hospital and the University of Connecticut Health Center/John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington. He also serves as Surgical Director of the Heart Transplant Program at Hartford Hospital. A graduate of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Dr. Hammond completed a residency in the Hartford Hospital/University of Connecticut Integrated General Surgery Program and a residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals. Board certified in surgery and thoracic surgery, he is a member of Connecticut Cardiothoracic Surgical Associates, a private practice for cardiothoracic and vascular surgery in Hartford.

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David J. Underhill, M.D.
David Underhill, MD, is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Saint Mary's Hospital, Waterbury Hospital, Hartford Hospital and the University of Connecticut Health Center/John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington. He earned his medical degree at the University of Vermont, completed his general surgery residency at the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, and his thoracic surgery residency at the University of Michigan. Dr. Underhill also was a research fellow in cardiac surgery with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institute of Health. Board certified in surgery and thoracic surgery, he is a member of Connecticut Cardiothoracic Surgical Associates, a private practice for cardiothoracic and vascular surgery in Hartford.

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Daniel S. Fusco, M.D.
Daniel Fusco, MD, is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Waterbury Hospital, Hartford Hospital and the University of Connecticut Health Center/John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington. A graduate of the UConn School of Medicine in Farmington, Dr. Fusco completed a general surgery residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., and a thoracic surgery residency at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Va. In addition, he completed a fellowship in heart transplantation and aortic surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Fusco, a board-certified surgeon, is a member of Connecticut Cardiothoracic Surgical Associates, a private practice for cardiothoracic and vascular surgery in Hartford.

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