Board Certified
Vascular Surgery
American Board of Surgery
Understanding yourvascular systemstarts here.
Every vascular condition — from the spider veins on your calves to the narrowing found on your carotid scan — explained in plain language by a surgeon who has treated over 11,000 patients.
Dr. Catherine Morales, MD, RPVI, FACS
Vascular & Endovascular Surgery · Fellowship-Trained, Johns Hopkins
Board-Certified. Fellowship-Trained. 11,000+ Procedures.
The conditions your doctor mentioned, explained.
Starting with the conditions most patients search for first — then building toward the complex pathologies that require the most careful decision-making.
Common Venous Conditions
Varicose VeinsvsDeep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Side-by-side clinical comparison — symptoms, imaging, conservative care, and every interventional option available today.
| What it is | Dilated, tortuous superficial veins caused by incompetent venous valves — blood pools instead of returning to the heart. | A blood clot (thrombus) forming in a deep vein, most commonly in the calf, thigh, or pelvis, obstructing venous return. |
| Who it affects | Women 2× more often; prolonged standing, pregnancy, family history are primary risk factors. | Post-surgical patients, long-haul travelers, cancer patients, and those with inherited clotting disorders. |
| Typical symptoms | Visible rope-like veins, aching heaviness, ankle swelling by evening, skin discoloration near ankles. | Unilateral leg swelling, warmth, redness, calf pain with walking — or NO symptoms in 50% of cases. |
| Diagnostic imaging | Duplex ultrasound maps reflux and identifies incompetent perforators — non-invasive, takes 30 minutes. | Compression duplex ultrasound is first-line; CT venography or MRI venography for pelvic or iliac DVT. |
| Conservative management | Graduated compression stockings (20–30 mmHg), leg elevation, weight management — reduce symptoms, do not eliminate. | Anticoagulation (heparin bridge → warfarin or DOAC) for 3–6 months; compression; ambulation encouraged. |
| Interventional options |
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| Recovery timeline | EVLA/RFA: return to work in 1–2 days; full resolution of treated vein in 6–8 weeks. | Anticoagulation 3–6 months; interventional cases: 1–3 days hospital; full activity in 2–4 weeks. |
| Urgency level | Elective — plan at your convenience | Urgent — seek evaluation within 24–48 hours |
Not sure which applies to you? A 20-minute consultation includes duplex ultrasound review and a clear explanation of your imaging — in plain language.
See If You're a Candidate →Peripheral Arterial Disease
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)vsCritical Limb Ischemia (CLI)
Side-by-side clinical comparison — symptoms, imaging, conservative care, and every interventional option available today.
| What it is | Atherosclerotic narrowing of the arteries supplying the legs, reducing blood flow during exertion. | The most severe form of PAD — resting pain, non-healing wounds, or tissue death due to critically inadequate arterial perfusion. |
| Who it affects | Over 8 million Americans; highest risk in smokers, diabetics, and those with hypertension over age 50. | 1–3% of PAD patients annually progress to CLI; diabetics and dialysis patients are disproportionately affected. |
| Typical symptoms | Claudication — reproducible calf, thigh, or buttock pain that begins with walking and resolves with rest. | Rest pain (worst at night, relieved by dangling the foot), non-healing ulcers, gangrene, cold/numb foot. |
| Diagnostic imaging | Ankle-brachial index (ABI) is first-line; duplex ultrasound maps stenosis; CT angiography for intervention planning. | CT angiography or digital subtraction angiography (DSA); transcutaneous oxygen measurements (TcPO₂) assess tissue viability. |
| Conservative management | Supervised exercise therapy (SET) — 3×/week for 12 weeks — improves walking distance by 100–150% in trials. Statins, antiplatelets, smoking cessation. | Wound care, infection control, offloading; conservative measures are temporizing — revascularization is the priority. |
| Interventional options |
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| Recovery timeline | Angioplasty: same-day or overnight; stenting: 1 day. Resume walking immediately — this is the treatment. | Endovascular: 1–3 days; bypass: 5–7 days hospital, 6–8 weeks to full recovery. Wound healing may take months. |
| Urgency level | Semi-elective — evaluate within 2–4 weeks | Urgent — same-day or next-day evaluation |
Not sure which applies to you? A 20-minute consultation includes duplex ultrasound review and a clear explanation of your imaging — in plain language.
See If You're a Candidate →Peer-Reviewed Evidence
“Endovenous thermal ablation has demonstrated 5-year occlusion rates exceeding 90%, with significantly lower complication profiles compared to conventional stripping.”
Journal of Vascular Surgery, 2023
“Supervised exercise therapy remains the most underutilized evidence-based intervention in peripheral artery disease, producing walking distance improvements comparable to angioplasty in claudicants.”
Circulation, 2022
“Early catheter-directed thrombolysis in iliofemoral DVT reduces post-thrombotic syndrome incidence by 41% at two-year follow-up.”
NEJM Evidence, 2023
The conditions that require the most careful decision-making.
Carotid stenosis and aortic aneurysm share one critical feature: they are often discovered before any symptoms appear. Understanding your options in advance is not anxiety — it is preparation.
| What it is | Atherosclerotic narrowing of the carotid artery — the vessel supplying 80% of blood to the brain. The primary preventable cause of stroke in adults over 60. | A focal dilation of the aorta exceeding 3 cm (abdominal) or 4.5 cm (thoracic). The aortic wall weakens over decades; rupture carries 80% mortality. |
| Silent presentation | The majority of significant stenoses (50–79%) are discovered incidentally on duplex scan — no preceding symptoms, no warning. | Over 75% of AAAs are asymptomatic until rupture. Screening ultrasound for men over 65 who have smoked is a one-time Medicare benefit. |
| Diagnostic imaging | Carotid duplex ultrasound is first-line. CTA or MRA confirms degree of stenosis before intervention planning. NASCET criteria define surgical thresholds. | Abdominal ultrasound for screening; CT angiography with 3D reconstruction defines anatomy for EVAR planning — diameter, neck length, iliac access. |
| Intervention threshold | Symptomatic ≥50%: intervention recommended within 2 weeks of TIA/minor stroke Asymptomatic ≥70%: selective intervention in low-surgical-risk patients with ≥5-year life expectancy | ≥5.5 cm (men), ≥5.0 cm (women): repair recommended regardless of symptoms Growth >0.5 cm in 6 months: accelerated surveillance or early repair |
| Interventional options |
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| Recovery timeline | CEA: 1–2 day hospital, return to normal activity in 1–2 weeks. CAS/TCAR: same-day or 1-night observation. | EVAR: 1–2 days hospital, 2–4 weeks recovery. Open repair: 5–7 days hospital, 6–8 weeks recovery. Annual CT surveillance after EVAR. |
| Urgency level | Symptomatic: Urgent within 2 weeks · Asymptomatic: Evaluate within 4 weeks | Surveillance-dependent — never ignore a known aneurysm |
Were you told you have a stenosis or aneurysm? Bring your imaging. Dr. Morales will review it with you in the room, explain the measurements, and tell you exactly where you stand.
See If You're a Candidate →The training behind the recommendation.
Board Certification
American Board of Surgery
Vascular Surgery (recertified 2022)
Fellowship Training
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Society Membership
SVS · SCVS · SIR
Society for Vascular Surgery
Clinical Volume
11,000+ procedures
Across open, endo, and hybrid approaches
What you can expect in the consultation room.
Plain language, always.
Medical jargon exists for precision among clinicians. In this room, it gets translated. You leave knowing what your imaging shows, what your options are, and what I would recommend for my own family.
Imaging reviewed in the room.
I pull up your duplex scan, CTA, or MRA while you watch. I point at the stenosis, the thrombus, the aneurysm. You see what I see. That is not a courtesy — it is how informed consent actually works.
No unnecessary intervention.
A surgeon who operates on every patient they see is not serving those patients. Supervised exercise, compression therapy, and watchful waiting are real treatments — I prescribe them without apology.
“The goal is not to operate. The goal is to get you the right answer.”
— Dr. Catherine Morales, MD, FACS
24
Years in practice
You've read the comparison.Now find out where you stand.
A 20-minute consultation includes imaging review and a clear recommendation. No referral required. No insurance gatekeeper.
Request your consultation
Click the button. Choose a time. No forms longer than your name and your diagnosis.
Bring your imaging
A CD, a portal link, or a paper report. Dr. Morales will review it with you in the room.
Leave with a clear plan
Not a referral to another specialist. Not "we'll monitor it." A clear recommendation, in plain language, before you leave the building.
Or call directly: (617) 555-0193
Boston Vascular Associates · 110 Francis St, Suite 4B · Boston, MA 02215