The UC Davis Vascular Center provides state-of-the-art vascular care and promotes collaboration among the different specialties involved in that process. It is dedicated to providing comprehensive and interdisciplinary care to patients with atherosclerosis, the process in which fatty materials, cholesterol and other substances, collectively known as plaque, accumulate in the lining of an artery. This process often is referred to as "hardening of the arteries." Plaques can significantly reduce the blood's flow through an artery. When plaques become fragile and rupture, they cause blood clots that can block blood flow or break off and travel to another part of the body, causing a heart attack, limb loss or stroke.

A major emphasis of the center is to coordinate the care among the multiple physicians who typically provide some aspect of care for patients with atherosclerosis. Although atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that presents a variety of symptoms, its treatment traditionally has been provided by physicians who concentrate on isolated signs of the illness. This approach can result in fragmented care that is inconvenient for the patient and inefficient for health-care providers. Promoting collaboration among different specialties allows both established and emerging diagnostic and therapeutic methods to be applied, increasing efficiency and reducing risks to patients. While surgeons, internists, cardiologists, endocrinologists and  many other specialists are experts in treating patients within the scope of their own specialties, the Vascular Center's emphasis on collaboration will greatly improve the care patients receive. Among the specialties in the center are vascular surgery, cardiology, interventional radiology, endocrinology and nephrology.

The Vascular Center's clinical services encompass all elements of vascular care:

• Diagnostic evaluations and medical management
• Non-invasive vascular testing
• Surgical care
• Diagnostic angiography and endovascular therapeutics (minimally invasive procedures)
• Inpatient services and critical care