Vascular Surgery
(veins and arteries)
Our Vascular Surgery Department provides comprehensive specialised services for people who have problems with their veins and arteries.
We provide surgical services for northern Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and as far north as Rockhampton. We also receive tertiary referrals from throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Our services
We offer outpatient consultation and surgical services at 2 hospital sites; Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH). We provide a full range of specialised diagnostic and surgical procedures, these include:
- diagnostic vascular ultrasound (scan to identify blockages and detect blood clots)
- intravascular ultrasound (to see inside blood vessels)
- diagnostic angiography (x-ray to look at the arteries)
- endovascular interventions ( for peripheral vascular disease and aneurismal disease)
- carotid endarterectomy for carotid stenosis (narrowing of carotid arteries) and stroke prevention
- kidney failure treatment access for haemodialysis (dialysis)
- secondary risk factor prevention for patients with cardiovascular disease
- varicose veins and open venous surgery
- nurse led Vascular Surveillance Clinic
- Telehealth Clinic.
How to access this service
To access this service, your GP or medical practitioner will need to send a referral letter to the hospital.
If there is a waiting list, you will receive a confirmation letter and be advised on what to do next. If there is no waiting list, you will receive an appointment booking letter or we will contact you to arrange a suitable time for your appointment.
We always try to ensure that clinics run on time. Sometimes there are unavoidable delays and it can take between 1-2 hours to see one of our specialists. Should this occur please inform the clinic staff if you have any concerns (e.g. long distance travel and/or need to catch transport at a pre-arranged time).
Refer a patient
To refer a patient:
Vascular referral guideline
GP and Specialist Hotline:
1300 364 938
Health professionals:
More information
After your hospital appointment
Your doctor may advise that you require surgery. If this is the case you will be placed on a surgical waiting list and may need to attend the Pre-admission Clinic before your surgery.
What to bring
- Your Medicare card
- Private health insurance card (if you have one)
- Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
- Current medications (prescription, over the counter and herbal medicine)
- Relevant x-rays, scans or any other test results or reports
- Glasses, hearing and mobility aids
- Your appointment letter
- Any special items listed on your letter
- WorkCover claim number (if relevant)
- Snacks, a drink or money to buy refreshments
- Something to read or do while you wait
- Your photo ID
- An adult carer to support you and take you home
- Copy of Advanced Healthcare Directive or Enduring Power of Attorney (if you have one)
- A jacket or cardigan in case you get cold
- A dressing gown or cardigan, sleepwear or comfortable day clothes
- Slippers and shoes (low heel, closed-in, non-slip, adjustable and firm fitting around the foot)
- Your toiletries and personal items
- Copy of Advanced Healthcare Directive or Enduring Power of Attorney if you have one
- Something to read or do during your stay
- Medical devices required for your care (e.g. CPAP machine)
- Do not bring large amounts of cash or valuables such as jewellery, watches or other items of value to you
Clinics
Contact us
Vascular Outpatient Clinic
Location: Level 7, Ned Hanlon Building
Phone: (07) 3646 7815
Fax: (07) 3646 5220
Email: RBWH-Vascular-Outpatients
Open: Monday-Friday 7.00am-4.00pm
Vascular Outpatients (private patients)
Location: Level 3, Dr James Mayne Building
Phone: (07) 3646 3302
Pre-admission Clinic
Phone: (07) 3646 7815
Need help outside hours?
For non-urgent medical issues call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or visit your GP.
In an emergency call 000.
Refer a patient
To refer a patient to this service, view the Vascular referral guideline.
GP and Specialist Referral Hotline:
1300 364 938
To refer your patient to the Professor Phillip Walker Vascular Laboratory, please complete the Metro North Vascular Surgery referral form.
Resources
Health professionals
The full range of open and endovascular surgical procedures are provided on an elective and urgent basis. We are also specialised in:
- thoracic and abdominal aortic endografting
- endovascular intervention
- mesenteric revascularisation
- carotid artery surgery and stenting
- fenestrated aortic stent grafts.
Other services include:
- vascular ward with 24 inpatient beds
- Vascular Outpatient Department provides vascular consultation, preadmission assessment, vascular renal access and podiatry services consultation
- The Professor Phillip Walker Vascular Laboratory offers a full range of arterial and venous duplex ultrasound scanning together with physiologic pressure measurements and treadmill exercise studies
- intravascular ultrasound
- diagnostic angiography and endovascular interventions including iliac, femoral, tibial/renal and carotid artery angioplasty and stenting
- EVAR (endovascular AAA repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm)
- TEVAR (thoracic endovascular aortic repair for aortic aneurysms, trauma and dissections)
- FEVAR (fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair)
- open AAA repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm/thoracic aneurysm
- type B dissection
- lower extremity arterial revascularisation for peripheral arterial disease and limb ischemia
- carotid endarterectomy for carotid stenosis and stroke prevention
- vascular renal access (AV fistula creation) for renal failure haemodialysis
- secondary risk factor prevention for patients with cardiovascular disease
- RFA varicose veins/open venous surgery
- nurse led Vascular Surveillance Clinic – AAA/Stents/Renal access.
- combined cardiac and vascular cases at TPCH.
- haemodialysis AV access service with dedicated consulting clinics and operation lists, run as a satellite unit at TPCH.