This condition increases the risk of stroke, as these plaques can rupture and shower the brain with debris, which blocks the smaller vessels of the brain
A carotid plaque in the neck that isn’t causing a stroke does not cause any symptoms.
The Carotid artery, when causing symptoms, generally leads to either transient strokes (TIA) or permanent strokes. The territory of the brain supplied by the carotid arteries is the front 2/3 of the brain. When this part of the brain is having symptoms, one will generally notice:
Lifestyle modifications, such as quitting smoking, managing blood pressure and cholesterol, and maintaining a healthy weight, are advantageous for slowing aneurysm growth. Patients with aneurysms should be regularly monitored with imaging, and any rapid growth requires prompt medical attention. Studies are being conducted using doxycycline and metformin to reduce aneurysm growth, but this is not yet prescribed or common practice among vascular surgeons at this stage.
Methods to prevent plaque buildup and reduce inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques include
Carotid endarterectomy is the term used to describe surgery in which the carotid artery is cut open, the plaque is removed, and the artery is repaired with stitches.
This surgery takes under 1.5 hours and is very fast to recover from. Significant risks are involved in the surgery, which should be explained in detail. For someone with a >50% narrowing in their artery who has suffered a transient or permanent stroke, carotid endarterectomy is the standard of care across the world for preventing further strokes.
Carotid stenting procedures are a valuable tool to deal with the disease in the neck when it isn’t safe to treat surgically with carotid endarterectomy.
There are subtle advantages to a stent, but the disadvantages when compared to open carotid endarterectomy mean that stenting is not the standard of care unless there are some particular criteria that make it a better choice than open surgery.
Consulting locations
WOLLONGONG
Artery and Vein Clinic
402 Crown St
Wollongong
NSW 2500
GREGORY HILLS
Artery and Vein Clinic
Soma Centre
Suite 8/7, Gregory Hills drive
Gregory hills
NSW 2557
Orange
Artery and Vein Clinic
117 Molder st
Orange
NSW 2800
Contact Info
Wollongong
Phone: (02) 4226 9333
Fax: (02) 4229 4006
Gregory Hills
Phone: (02) 4601 1055
Fax: (02) 4601 1058
Orange
Phone: (02) 4601 1055
Fax: (02) 4601 1058
Healthlink EDI: wgvascul
Office Hours
9am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday
Phone Hours
7am – 6pm Monday to Friday
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