Carotid Stenting
Carotid artery stenting is an endovascular technique used to re-open blocked carotid arteries and prevent stroke. Because carotid stenting is minimally invasive, it provides an excellent treatment option to patients who are high-risk candidates for endarterectomy surgery. The procedure requires only a local anesthetic and a tiny puncture into an artery in the groin area, rather than opening the artery in the neck. The blockage is treated with balloon angioplasty and the placement of a stent - a small, self-expanding metal tube or 'scaffold' that keeps the vessel open, thereby preventing a stroke from occurring. A tiny umbrella-like filter is used to catch and remove loose pieces of plaque that develop during the stenting procedure before they travel to the brain and create a stroke.
X-ray studies using special dyes, called carotid angiograms, can show the degree of blockage of the carotid arteries. Other tests such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) can visualize blockages in the carotid arteries.
Prior to carotid stenting, blockages in the carotid artery were treated with a surgical procedure called carotid endarterectomy, in which surgeons made an incision in the neck artery to remove the plaque and diseased artery.
Carotid artery stenting is the only FDA approved system currently available for the prevention of stroke for patients who are at high risk for carotid endarterectomy. Patients who receive a carotid stent usually leave the hospital one or two days after the procedure.