Carotid Artery Stenting
703-504-7950
Inova Alexandria Hospital's interventional radiologists offer a less-invasive treatment option to prevent the risk of stroke for patients with carotid artery disease. The therapy, called carotid artery stenting, has been demonstrated to have a lower rate of death, heart attack and stroke in high-risk patients over traditional surgery. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the treatment option in August 2004.
Approximately 25 percent of strokes are caused by carotid artery disease from atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries characterized by the build-up of plaque. The carotid arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain. A stroke can occur if the artery becomes obstructed, if a piece of the plaque breaks off, or if a clot forms and blocks the flow of blood to the brain.
Patients with carotid artery disease are at risk for stroke. The American Heart Association reports that stroke is the third most common cause of death in the United States, and the number one cause of disability in adults. More than 700,000 Americans will have a new or recurrent ischemic stroke each year and 160,000 of them will die.
A carotid endarterectomy is currently the standard surgical method for restoring blood flow within the carotid arteries, with approximately 170,000 procedures performed in the United States each year. The procedure requires an incision in the patient's neck and artery to remove plaque and debris from inside the vessel wall, thereby reducing the incidence of a stroke.
Carotid artery stenting is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional surgery. An interventional radiologist uses a combination of balloon angioplasty and a stent implant to unblock and re-open the carotid artery, a major supplier of blood to the brain. While the lesion is stented during the procedure, an embolic protection system is used to collect plaque that could become dislodged and potentially cause a stroke. Carotid artery stenting may provide a preventive measure against stroke for patients with carotid artery disease who are ineligible for the current method of care.
