The time to stop a stroke is before it happens.
For many patients at risk for stroke, this
means taking medication or having surgery.
Doylestown Hospital also offers another advanced
option - carotid artery stenting - for certain high-risk
patients.
Most strokes occur when one or both of the
carotid arteries (in the neck) become blocked
or narrowed by fatty deposits called plaque. This
narrowing limits the flow of blood to the brain,
which can result in a stroke or ministroke.
"If a severe blockage is found, a stroke can be
prevented by restoring blood flow to the brain,"
says Joseph McGarvey, Jr., MD, one of the Doylestown Hospital interventional cardiologists who performs the procedure.
There are two ways to restore blood flow to
the brain, he explains. The first is carotid
endarterectomy, a surgery which involves the
removal of plaque in the carotid artery and requires
an inpatient hospital stay. The second option is a
non-surgical procedure called carotid angioplasty.
"Carotid angioplasty with stenting is a newer
technique that we perform in high-risk patients,
such as those over 75 years of age or with other
medical conditions," Dr. McGarvey says.
During the procedure, the artery is
first opened with a balloon-tipped
catheter. A stent (thin, meshlike tube) is then inserted
to compress the plaque and prevent the artery from
renarrowing. A porous umbrella-like filter is placed
above the blockage during the procedure to capture any
plaque that may break loose.
"This new technology makes it possible for us
to perform potentially lifesaving procedures on
patients who might not have been able to tolerate
traditional carotid surgery," says Doylestown Hospital cardiologist Steven Guidera, MD. "Carotid stenting offers high-risk patients a
non-surgical option."
