The Saint Louis University Division of Vascular Surgery provides comprehensive care to patients with the entire spectrum of vascular disease.
About Saint Louis University Vascular Surgery
Welcome to the Saint Louis University Vascular Surgery! We are one of the oldest vascular training programs in the state of Missouri, having trained vascular surgery fellows since the 1980s, and graduating our first integrated vascular surgery resident in 2020. Vascular surgery fellows and residents rotate between a busy tertiary university hospital and a busy private practice group, working with nine vascular surgeons and covering the breadth of vascular pathology. Integrated residents also rotate at the St. Louis Veterans Affairs Hospital as part of their general surgery experiences. These exposures give our trainees opportunities to experience all types of vascular practices and allow them to identify the career they envision themselves entering. Our graduates have been successful in private and academic practices, and I'm particularly proud of our current group of trainees. The camaraderie they have with one another and the faculty is one of the best things about our programs, and their dedication to the mission of Saint Louis University and serving our population is awe-inspiring. Please look at our website for information on our program, and let me know if I can answer any specific questions you may have as you look for a place to pursue training in vascular surgery!
Saint Louis University is a tertiary referral center for patients in both Missouri and Illinois with advanced PAD. We utilize all available open bypass and endovascular options to treat these complex patients.
Our urban location with a high prevalence of peripheral vascular disease offers great opportunities for limb salvage. We are involved in numerous clinical trials for newer endovascular solutions for peripheral artery disease (PAD).
While we still perform open aneurysm repairs in some cases, the majority of patients with abdominal or thoracic aneurysms can be treated with newer endovascular techniques. We utilize all commercially available stent grafts, including fenestrated and branched grafts.
Carotid endarterectomy remains the gold-standard treatment for extra-cranial carotid stenosis. This operation has been performed safely for decades using a variety of surgical and anesthetic techniques. However, we perform transfemoral carotid stenting if indicated and are a Silk Road “Center of Excellence” in Transcarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR).
Please look at our website for information on our program, and let me know if I can answer any specific questions you may have as you look for a place to pursue training in vascular surgery!
Catherine M. Wittgen, M.D., FACS
Program Director - Vascular Surgery Training Programs
Professor of Surgery