Stroke Prevention & Carotid Artery Disease

Stroke prevention is our goal. Over 700,000 Americans suffer strokes each year. A significant number of patients die when they have a stroke; a larger number are left disabled with paralysis. A large number of strokes can be prevented with proper diagnosis and treatment.

Atherosclerotic plaque buildup in the carotid artery in the neck is a leading cause of stroke. Stroke occurs when an area of the brain loses its blood supply. This is caused by complete blockage of the artery with loss of flow or by pieces of the plaque breaking loose and traveling to the brain. Detection of significant narrowing or blockage in the artery is essential for preventing stroke. Detection is accomplished by ultrasound examination of the blood vessels of the neck.

Some people have warning signals of a stroke before a major stroke occurs. However, for others a major stroke may occur with no warning at all.

Warning Symptoms for Stroke (TIA or mini-stroke):

• One-sided weakness or numbness (arm, leg, and/or face)
• Temporary blindness of one eye
• Difficulty speaking (inability to talk, or slurred speech)

In patients with no warning symptoms, plaque may be detected by their doctor listening to their neck with a stethoscope. An abnormal sound - a bruit - suggests the possibility of plaque buildup.

Further evaluation is simple and painless. An ultrasound exam can accurately determine the severity of narrowing in the neck artery.

An operation is necessary in patients if the plaque has caused symptoms or if the narrowing is severe. A short incision in the neck allows the surgeon to carefully remove the plaque from the artery. Patients usually leave the hospital 24-48 hours after surgery.