Carotid Stenting

What is carotid stenting?

When you have blockages in the arteries that deliver oxygen-rich blood to your brain, you’re at great risk of a stroke. Carotid stenting is a procedure that involves placing a tiny wire mesh tube into the clogged artery. The stent widens the channel through which blood flows so your brain gets plenty of oxygen and nourishment.

Why would I need a carotid stent?

When the arteries leading to the brain become lined with too much plaque, they can’t handle normal blood flow. 

Sometimes this blockage causes you to experience a TIA, or transient ischemic attack, which temporarily restricts blood flow to the brain and leads to blurry vision, confusion, weakness, and other symptoms. If you’ve had a TIA, you should be screened for carotid artery disease right away.

If you have advanced blockages that the doctors don’t feel will resolve with medications and lifestyle changes, they may recommend carotid stenting. The procedure is usually best for people who are high-risk with heart disease, who have uncontrolled diabetes, or who had previous radiation to the neck or surgery to the neck.

What should I expect during a carotid stenting procedure?

You’re usually given a local anesthetic and X-rays are taken of your carotid arteries. During the procedure, the doctors place a small tube into an artery, usually one in the groin. The team guides a catheter with a balloon tip through the tube to the affected carotid artery using X-ray guidance.

The balloon tip is inflated to clear the artery. Any debris that breaks off from the clogged artery is filtered away. The stent is then placed through the tube into the newly opened vessel. Your provider then slowly removes the filter, tube, and balloon catheter, leaving the stent in place to prevent future narrowing of the carotid artery.

You generally don’t need stitches, just a patch to cover the tiny incision at your groin. The team will instruct you to lie still for a few hours to prevent bleeding from the catheter insertion site. You’ll be asked to avoid strenuous activity for at least 24 hours following the procedure.

If you have carotid artery disease, carotid stenting may be recommended. Call the team at Vascular Specialists or book online to find out if it’s right for you.