Vascular and cardiovascular disease: the multidisciplinary heart and interventional team

Abstract

Revista HUPE, Rio de Janeiro, 2013;12(Supl 1):81-92

doi: 10.12957/rhupe.2013.7086

Currently the concept of multidisciplinary team has been much emphasized as a major tool in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease. The introduction of treatments with the use of less invasive percutaneous techniques, with options to traditional surgery has opened new horizons for expanding division of responsibilities among experts. This discussion involving interventional surgeons and clinicians provided a spread that was extremely useful, not only for the daily clinical practice, but also enabled the development of randomized clinical trials, registries and various protocols used in institutional routines.The joint efforts provide a great safety in decision making for a particular type of treatment and which is most effective for high-risk subgroups. The experience of the multidisciplinary team, coupled with the evidence and recommendations guided by the literature strengthens this concept. Despite the lack of robust studies supporting better outcomes in routine discussions of this forum there is a strong tendency to strengthen this type of conduct. The purpose of this article is to discuss relevant aspects of the multidisciplinary team in optimizing the decisions regarding the treatment of peripheral vascular disease above and below the diaphragm.

Keywords: Peripheral arterial disease; Endovascular procedures; Multidisciplinary team; Carotid stenosis; Aorta; Gangrene.