Carotid and Vascular Surgery
A pair of carotid arteries supply the majority of blood to the brain. These arteries in the neck have a tendency to develop blockages which can lead to stroke. For many people, there is no warning before a stroke occurs. If your Doctor discovers an abnormal sound in a carotid artery, tests can be done to determine if a significant blockage exists. Currently, most of the testing is done in a non-invasive way using ultrasound, CAT scanning, or MRI scanning. Occasionally, an arteriogram is needed. Some people have a warning event or transient ischemic attack (TIA), in which temporary symptoms develop, signaling a possible impending stroke.
If a critical blockage of the carotid artery is discovered, surgery may be recommended. To perform a carotid surgery operation, or "endarterectomy", general anesthesia is usually used. After the patient is asleep, the blood flow to the brain is diverted around the blocked area with a plastic tube. The artery can then be opened, and an operating microscope used to clean the artery, restoring it to a normal size and configuration. For those people with advanced narrowing of the carotid artery the risk of surgery is generally lower than the risk of non-surgical treatment.
|
