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NEUROVASCULAR TREATMENTS
Carotid Stenting
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In Carotid Stenting, a catheter (a long hollow tube) is inserted under local anesthetic into the artery at the top of the leg through a small needle hole and threaded through the arterial system up to the narrowed carotid artery. A tiny balloon at the end of the catheter is then inflated to open the narrowed area, and a metal stent (a kind of wire-mesh tubular scaffolding) is inserted into the artery and across the narrowing. The stent opens to the size of the artery to help keep the artery from narrowing again. The stent stays in place permanently, and after several weeks, the artery heals around the stent. Patients are awake during the procedure, and are usually discharged from the hospital the following day. Most patients are able to resume normal activities when they get home.
Key Advantages:
- Local instead of general anesthesia
- No surgical incision in the neck
- No potential surgical complications such as nerve injury, hematoma (bleeding) and wound infection
- Less discomfort
- Shorter recovery time
- Ability to treat narrowed arteries that are hard to reach or difficult to treat with surgery
- An effective alternative for high-risk carotid endarterectomy patients
- An effective alternative for patients who may not be in good enough health to undergo surgery
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