To optimize the patients’ vascular health, vascular surgeons also perform a variety of new, minimally invasive, catheter-based endovascular procedures in addition to traditional surgical approaches to therapy which includes stenting of the carotid artery, endovascular repair of abdominal or thoracic aortic aneurysms, atherectomy or angioplasty devices used to clear lower extremity arteries of plaque and less invasive laser treatment for varicose veins. Treated patients often quickly resume normal activities following short hospital stays.