Imagine you’re flying over a busy metropolis. When you look down you can see a system of major highways with onramps, exits, and smaller roadways branching out across the city. That’s one way to think of your circulatory system, which includes all the arteries and veins that do the work of transporting blood throughout your body.

And just as a traffic jam can stop travelers, a blood clot, or buildup of plaque in any artery or vein, can restrict the flow of blood and throw the whole circulatory system off.

The good news is there are surgical options for treating vascular problems, said NorthBay Health vascular surgeon Melissa Loja, M.D.

“Vascular surgery is one of the most challenging things you can do as a physician. I was drawn to it for its balance of science and technology,” she said, adding that the job description involves a variety of skills. “We do open surgeries, less invasive endovascular procedures and we can be consultants for other physicians as well as having clinic with our own patients. It’s incredibly varied,” she said.

Dr. Loja earned her medical degree at the UC Davis School of Medicine, where she also earned a master’s of Advanced Studies in clinical and translational research. She is board-certified in vascular surgery by the American Board of Surgery.

“The best analogy for understanding vascular surgery is that we are the plumbers of the body. It’s clearing blood vessels and opening them up.”
Physician Assistant Takara Dickson

Physician Assistant Takara Dickson works directly with Dr. Loja and her patients.

Their work is focused on any blood vessels outside of the heart and brain. So they work on issues such as peripheral artery disease, acute venous thrombosis (blood clots in a vein), abdominal or thoracic aneurysm (which happens when part of an artery wall weakens, allowing it to abnormally balloon out or widen); carotid artery disease; non-healing wounds caused by vascular disease and the list goes on. And as a vascular surgeon, Dr. Loja is also called to assist other physicians to address traumatic vascular injury, hemorrhage control, and safe exposure of vascular structures.

Carotid artery disease is one of the leading causes of stroke. The carotid arteries are the two main vessels that feed oxygen-rich blood to the brain. While other arteries also contribute, these vessels deliver the majority of cerebral blood flow. A buildup of plaque tissue within the artery can severely reduce the blood flow and lead to stroke.

Dr. Loja performs Transcarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) at NorthBay — a procedure that is not available at other hospitals in the local area, and which offers a less invasive option for carotid artery disease. “You would have to go to one of the university hospitals in Sacramento or San Francisco,” without NorthBay’s program, explained Dr. Loja.

The entire TCAR procedure is performed through a small incision in the neck. A tube inserted into the carotid artery is connected to a system that temporarily directs blood flow away from the brain to protect against dangerous debris from reaching the brain and causing a stroke during the procedure. The blood is filtered before returning to the body, and a stent is implanted to the carotid artery to stabilize plaque and help prevent future strokes.

While any intervention of the carotid artery carries some risk, TCAR was designed to help minimize that risk. Patients who undergo the TCAR procedure recover quickly, typically spending just one night in the hospital.

For more on Dr. Loja and the vascular services she provides, visit www.northbay.org/Loja

Meet Vascular Surgeon Melissa Loja, M.D.

For NorthBay Health vascular surgeon Melissa Loja, M.D., “It all comes down to patient-centered care.”

In her specialty, she provides minimally invasive surgeries to help with arterial disease — that is the vessels outside of the heart. And her approach is to always put the patient first. “I try to be the kind of doctor I would want,” she said.

She recalled wanting to be a doctor even as a young child and as a physician she helps patients dealing with everything from dialysis to placing stents in clogged arteries.

“I want to be someone my patients can connect with and who they are comfortable with so that they can ask me any question,” she said. “To do that requires establishing trust and have a working relationship.”

She is board-certified in vascular surgery, earning her medical degree and completing her residency at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

To learn more about Dr. Loja visit www.northbay.org/Loja