Carotid artery disease — a condition in which the arteries in your neck become narrowed or blocked due to plaque buildup — can significantly increase your risk of stroke by reducing blood flow to your brain. In fact, carotid artery disease accounts for 33% of all strokes.
If you have carotid artery blockage, you might need carotid stenting, a minimally invasive procedure used to treat carotid artery disease. Here, our providers at Vascular Specialists explain what that process entails.
You have two common carotid arteries, one on each side of your neck. Both the left and right common carotid arteries split into an internal and external carotid artery, and these arteries have a very important job: to supply oxygen-rich blood to your brain.
When the arteries become narrowed by plaque — a condition known as carotid artery stenosis — your risk of stroke rises. Symptoms of carotid artery disease may include dizziness, confusion, and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), often called “mini-strokes.”
You might need carotid stenting if:
In some cases, carotid artery disease is asymptomatic but still poses a severe stroke risk. Carotid stenting is an alternative to open surgery (carotid endarterectomy) for individuals who may not be good candidates for a more invasive procedure.
Before the procedure, you undergo imaging tests such ultrasound or CT angiography to assess the degree of arterial blockage. Your provider also conducts a thorough evaluation of medical history to ensure stenting is the best option.
Once you and your surgeon decide to proceed with stenting, our team also provides pre-procedure instructions, including if you need to fast, take any blood-thinning medications, or make any changes to your usual medications.
We generally perform this procedure with a local anesthetic, so you don’t have to go fully under general anesthesia. Carotid stenting involves these steps:
Your Vascular Specialists surgeon inserts a small catheter into a blood vessel in your groin and feeds it up to the affected carotid artery using X-ray guidance. Because we access your carotid artery this way, you don’t have to worry about open surgery, large incisions, or sutures.
Your surgeon places a tiny filter, called an embolic protection device, beyond the blockage to catch any debris that potentially could dislodge and travel to your brain during the procedure.
Your surgeon then places the stent into the narrowed section of your carotid artery and expands it to hold your artery open and improve blood flow. We may inflate a small balloon inside the stent to ensure it fits snugly against the artery walls. This is known as a balloon angioplasty.
Once the stent is in place, we put a bandage over the insertion site on your groin. Most people don’t require stitches.
Our team observes you for a few hours to make sure that you feel well and that no complications develop. Recovery times with this procedure are shorter than with open surgery, but you’ll still have to take it easy for a few days. Don’t return to your normal physical activities until our team clears you to do so.
Ongoing care includes:
If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of carotid artery disease or you’re concerned about stroke risk, give us a call at 815-824-4406. You can also schedule an appointment through our online system to meet with a Vascular Specialists provider in Tinley Park, Illinois, and Munster, Indiana.
