There's an amazing new treatment for people who have plaque build-up in their carotid arteries:
Transcarotid Artery Revascularization
It's a big phrase for less invasive surgery.
For many years, the standard of surgery for people that have a bad blockage, is to open up the neck, clean out the blockage, and sew the artery back together again.
That may sound simple, but vascular surgeon Russell Samson says it can cause nerve damage and even a heart attack. Another option, threading a stent from the groin up through the heart carries risk as well.
"There's nothing to protect a piece of blockage breaking loose while we're putting in the stent that can also go to the brain and cause a stroke," explains Dr. Samson.
But now, Samson is working with a new device he says will revolutionize stenting and surgery.
"We make a tiny little incision at the bottom of the neck and we put the stent in directly through the neck so we avoid all the manipulation through the heart. But what is especially unique, is that while we're doing this the technology allows us to stop the blood flow going up through the brain and make the blood flow come down out of the brain."
That sends any stray pieces of plaque to a vein in the groin.
The major benefits: less invasive, lower risk of stroke, and a quick recovery.
The first procedure was done three weeks ago at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Florida. The patient was discharged in less than 24 hours.
"We think this procedure is going to replace 80-90 percent of stents from the groin and maybe 60-70 percent of open surgery to the neck. I get chills when I talk about it in fact I can feel them now so its a wonderful experience," says Dr. Samson.