How is carotid artery stenosis treated?

How is carotid artery stenosis treated?

The main goal of carotid artery stenosis treatment is to halt the progression of the disease. This starts with lifestyle modifications including a healthy diet, exercise and stopping smoking. A daily baby dose of aspirin along with medications that lower blood pressure and cholesterol may also be used.

In more severe cases and or cases causing symptoms of TIA or stroke, your provider may use a surgical procedure called carotid endarterectomy to remove the plaque from the carotid artery through an incision. Alternatively, your surgeon may place a stent through a large 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. A vascular surgeon or specialist determines which of these procedures is best for each person who needs treatment for carotid disease.

Not every carotid stenosis needs surgical or interventional treatment as these procedures themselves come with risk. Surgeons only recommend procedures to people when the risks of severe stenosis and/or stroke become higher than the risk of the procedure.