Neurology & Neurosurgery

Carotid Stenosis

Carotid stenosis, also known as carotid artery disease, is a condition that can result in a person having a stroke. When a person has carotid artery stenosis, a substance called plaque builds up and blocks the normal flow of blood in your artery. Treatment options for carotid artery stenosis is a surgical procedure call endarterectomy or placement of stent inside the carotid artery.

What is carotid stenosis?

Carotid stenosis occurs when the carotid artery, located on either side of neck, becomes blocked. The blockage forms from a substance fatty cholesterol deposit called plaque. When plaque blocks the normal flow of blood through the carotid artery, there is a high risk of a stroke.

Symptoms

The symptoms of a TIA or stroke can include:

• Drooping of one side of face
• Slurred speech or difficulty forming words
• Blurred/losing vision in one eye
• Losing feeling on one side of the body
• Having weakness on one side of your body

Risk Factors

There are various risk factors that can contribute to a carotid artery disease, such as:

• Age
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Inactive lifestyle
• Smoking/tobacco products
• Obesity

Treatment

One treatment option is a surgical procedure called carotid endarterectomy is used to remove the plaque from the carotid artery through a small incision.

Alternatively, your surgeon may place a stent through a needle puncture and ultimately through the blocked artery. This will open the artery up to its proper size while trapping the plaque away from the blood flow between the stent and the wall. Your treating surgeon determines which of these procedures is best for each person who needs treatment for carotid disease.