Revascularize

Revascularize refers to restoring blood flow to tissue that has been deprived of adequate perfusion by creating or repairing a vascular supply. It is a general term used across medical specialties, most commonly in the heart, brain, and limbs, where ischemia can impair function or threaten viability. In medicine, revascularization encompasses surgical, endovascular, and pharmacologic approaches aimed at improving tissue perfusion.

Surgical methods include bypass procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to redirect blood around blocked vessels. Endovascular methods use intravascular techniques such as angioplasty to widen narrowed arteries, with stent placement, atherectomy to remove plaque, or thromboembolectomy to extract clots. Pharmacologic revascularization includes thrombolytic therapy to dissolve clots in acute settings. In some contexts, revascularization may also involve vascular reconstruction or bypass during transplant or limb-sparing procedures.

Indications vary by tissue and clinical scenario. In coronary artery disease, revascularization is considered when symptoms are not controlled by medical therapy or when myocardial viability is at risk. In acute myocardial infarction, rapid revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or thrombolysis improves outcomes. In acute ischemic stroke, mechanical thrombectomy and, when appropriate, thrombolysis may restore cerebral perfusion within defined time windows. In peripheral arterial disease, revascularization aims to restore leg blood flow to prevent limb loss and relieve claudication. Diagnostic imaging such as angiography, duplex ultrasound, CT angiography, or MR angiography helps guide decisions and assess results.

Risks include bleeding, infection, vessel injury, restenosis, stroke, and myocardial infarction; outcomes depend on tissue viability, comorbidities, and promptness of treatment. The term derives from Latin re- “again” and vasculare “to vascularize,” reflecting restoration of perfusion.