About Curtis J. Edwards, MD, FACS Expertise Semi-retired, general and vascular surgery questions, veins arteries and questions related to the thorax. Seventeen years practice experience. I ran the non-invasive vascular lab at a major teaching hospital prior to attending medical school. While in private practice treated diseases of the peripheral veins and arteries including venous injection and ablation procedures, and arterial bypass grafting, and endarterectomy.
Experience Seventeen years private practice, general, peripheral vascular, non-cardiac thoracic surgery (semi-retired). Aviation medicine.
Organizations College of Surgeons, AMA, Aerospace Medical Assoc.
Education/Credentials BA,MD, American Board of Surgery, Fellow American College of Surgeons, Senior FAA Aerospace Medical Examiner
Question in atheriosclerosis,when the plaque causes the coronary artery to become so clogged that a blood clot forms causing a rupture,how is this now considered to be arteriosclerosis? or is it?
Answer Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis are basically the same thing. The plaque rupture is what causes the clot (not the other way around) by exposing the arterial media (middle layer under the intima- innermost layer) which incites platelet aggregation and fibrin deposition. The narrowed artery becomes plugged, denying the myocardium downstream oxygen and nutrients. Ischemia (cells denied oxygen) ensues followed by cell death.
