Collateral Circulation - How To Improve Circulation

Collateral circulation is the alternate circulation around a blocked artery or vein via nearby minor vessels. branches formed between adjacent blood vessels. It may arise from pathological conditions such as congestion or ischaemia.

An example of the usefulness of collateral circulation is a systemic thrombo-embolism in cats. This is when a thrombus lodges above the external iliac artery (common iliac artery), blocking the external and internal iliac arteries and effectively shutting off all blood supply to the hind leg. Even though the main vessels to the leg are blocked, enough blood can get to the tissues in the leg via the collateral circulation to keep them alive.

Brain

Blood flow to the brain is maintained via a network of collateral arteries that anastomose (join) in the circle of Willis, which lies at the base of the brain. In the circle of Willis so-called communicating arteries exist between the front (anterior) and back (posterior) parts of the circle of Willis, as well as between the left and right side of the circle of Willis.

Heart

Another example (in humans) is where a person suffers an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). Collateral circulation in the heart tissue will sometimes bypass the blockage in the main artery and supply enough oxygenated blood to enable the cardiac tissue to survive and recover.

Venous system

Hepatic cirrhosis arising from congestion in the hepatic portal vein may give rise to collateral circulation between branches of the portal and caval veins of the liver, or between the two caval veins. Consequences of newly established venous collaterals arising from portal hypertension include oesophageal varices and hemorrhoids (porto-caval collateral circulation).

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