Angiology

Angiology

What is angiology?

Angiology, also called vascular medicine, is concerned with the functioning and dysregulation of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. Note that in practice, angiology is restricted to the study of peripheral vessels.

When to see an angiologist?

Patients who come to an angiologist experience some of the following symptoms:

  • the heavy legs ;
  • swollen ankles;
  • tingling in the limbs;
  • a feeling of heat in the limbs;
  • or even regular cramps.

Thus, the angiologist provides diagnostic and therapeutic support for patients with arterial, venous, lymphatic and microcirculatory vascular pathology. These include:

  • venous insufficiency;
  • hemorrhagic disease;
  • varicose veins;
  • a phlebitis ;
  • ischemia of the limbs;
  • a vascular aneurysm;
  • or lymphedema.

Certain pathologies or lifestyle can increase the risk of developing vascular diseases. Here are some recognized risk factors:

  • diabetes ;
  • l’hypertension ;
  • obesity;
  • smoking;
  • too fatty food;
  • be in a standing position all day (especially for professional reasons) 2;
  • or sedentary lifestyle.

What does the angiologist do?

To take care of his patient, the angiologist:

  • asks him about his family and personal history, his symptoms and any medical treatments he is undergoing;
  • performs a rigorous clinical examination;
  • he performs a doppler ultrasound, in order to visualize the arteries and veins in detail and thus assess their condition.

What are the risks during the consultation of an angiologist?

The consultation does not involve any particular risks.

How to become an angiologist?

Angiologist training in France

To become an angiologist, you must obtain a Diploma of Complementary Specialized Studies (DESC) in vascular medicine. This is a so-called type I DESC, lasting two years. To do this, you must first hold a DES (diploma of specialized studies), namely the diploma that the student obtains at the end of the internship:

  • after having completed 6 years of medical study;
  • and after having passed the national classifying tests at the end of 6th year, which allow access to the boarding school.

Finally, to be able to practice and carry the title of doctor, the student must also defend a research thesis.

Note that with a DESC type I, the young doctor retains the title of specialist in the specialty of his DES.

Angiologist training in Quebec

After college studies, the student must:

  • follow a doctorate in medicine, lasting 1 or 4 years (with or without a preparatory year for medicine for students admitted with a college or university training deemed insufficient in basic biological sciences);
  • then specialize by following a 3-year residency in internal medicine (in Quebec, vascular medicine is part of internal medicine).

Prepare your visit

Before seeing an angiologist, it is important to take recent prescriptions, any x-rays, scans or MRIs performed.

To find an angiologist:

  • in Quebec, you can consult the website of the Collège des médecins du Québec4;
  • in France, via the website of the National Council of the Order of Physicians (5).

When the consultation is prescribed by an attending physician, it is covered by the Health Insurance (France) or the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec.

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