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Carotid Artery Disease

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What is Carotid Artery Disease?

Carotid artery disease is when the carotid arteries, the main blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the brain, become narrowed. If the narrowing becomes severe enough to block blood flow, or a piece of plaque breaks off and obstructs blood flow to the brain, a stroke may occur.

What Causes Carotid Artery Disease?

Carotid artery disease is usually caused by atherosclerosis, a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery, commonly called “hardening of the arteries.” Atherosclerosis is a slow, progressive disease that may start as early as childhood.

Risk factors associated with atherosclerosis include:

Age (older adults are more often affected)
Gender (men are often affected)
Family history
Genetic factors
Hyperlipidemia (elevated fats in the blood)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Lifestyle (smoking, diet high in saturated fat, lack of exercise)
Diabetes
Obesity

What Are the Symptoms of Carotid Artery Disease?

Some patients who have carotid artery disease have no symptoms. There can be a significant amount of atherosclerotic build-up without obstructing enough blood flow to cause symptoms.

However, many people who have carotid artery disease may experience:

Transient ischemic attack (TIA)—This sudden or temporary loss of blood flow to an area of the brain usually lasts a few minutes to an hour. Symptoms go away entirely within 24 hours, with complete recovery.
Stroke—A loss of blood flow to the brain that continues long enough to cause permanent brain damage. Recovery depends on the size and location of the stroke. A stroke may result in problems such as weakness in an arm or leg or may cause paralysis, loss of speech, or even death.

UR Medicine's Treatments for Carotid Artery Disease

Treatment for carotid artery disease is based on age, overall health, medical history, and symptoms. When the narrowing of the carotid artery is less than 50 percent, treatment at UR Medicine often includes:

Changing risk factors, which include smoking, elevated cholesterol levels, elevated blood glucose levels, lack of exercise, poor dietary habits, and elevated blood pressure.
Medications, ranging from clot-preventers to cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood pressure medications.

When the narrowing of the carotid artery is greater than 80 percent, a more aggressive treatment from our expert vascular surgeons may be recommended. Surgical treatment of carotid artery disease includes:

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) to remove plaque and clots to help prevent stroke. The surgeon will make an incision in the neck and clean our the plaque. UR vascular surgeons are national leaders in the minimally invasive placement of a carotid stent through a small neck incision (TCAR procedure), and have taught this technique to surgeons around the world.
Carotid artery angioplasty with stenting (CAS) for patients at high risk for carotid endarterectomy. In CAS, a very small hollow tube, or catheter, is advanced from a blood vessel to the carotid arteries. Once the catheter is in place, a balloon is inflated to open the artery and a stent is placed to hold the artery open.

What Sets Us Apart?

UR Medicine provides all of the latest and most modern approaches to the treatment of carotid artery disease, including minimally invasive and endovascular surgeries. And the research we perform at UR Medicine keeps us on the leading edge of treatments.

Our team offers multidisciplinary care as we work with patients to understand the benefits and risks of each treatment option, while coordinating consultations with specialists including cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, nephrology, and cardiology, to provide a seamless experience for patients and their families.