Carotid angioplasty and stenting like Carotid angioplasty and stenting in Guntur are procedures that open up narrowed arteries to restore blood flow to the brain. They're often performed to treat stroke or to prevent stroke.

The carotid arteries are located on each side of your neck. These are the main arteries supplying blood to your brain.

They can be clogged with fatty deposits (plaque) that slow or block blood flow to the brain — a condition known as carotid artery disease - which can lead to a stroke.

Carotid stenting procedure involves with our neurosurgeon in Guntur, temporarily inserting and inflating a tiny balloon into the clogged artery to widen the artery so that blood can flow freely to the brain. After this, Stenting is performed by placing a small metal tube in the clogged artery so that it stays open.

Why is it done?

Carotid angioplasty and stenting may be appropriate stroke treatments or stroke-prevention options if:

You have a carotid artery with a blockage of 70 percent or more, especially if you've had a stroke or stroke symptoms.

You have already had a carotid endarterectomy and are experiencing new narrowing after surgery (restenosis)

In some cases, carotid endarterectomy may be a better choice than angioplasty and stenting to remove the buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) clogging the artery. You and your doctor will discuss which procedure is safest for you.

What are some of the risks associated with this procedure and how to avoid them?

With any medical procedure, complications can happen. Here are some of the possible complications of carotid angioplasty and stenting:

Stroke or ministroke (transient ischemic attack, or TIA). During an angioplasty, blood clots that may form on the catheters can break loose and travel to your brain. You'll receive blood thinners during the procedure to reduce this risk.

A stroke can also occur if plaque in your artery is dislodged when the catheters are being threaded through the blood vessels

New narrowing of the carotid artery (restenosis). A major drawback of carotid angioplasty is the chance that your artery will narrow again within months of the procedure. Special drug-coated stents have been developed to reduce the risk of restenosis.

Blood clots. Blood clots can form within stents even weeks or months after angioplasty. These clots may cause a stroke or death. It's important to take aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix) and other medications exactly as prescribed to decrease the chance of clots forming in your stent.

Bleeding. You may have bleeding at the site in your groin where catheters were inserted. Usually this simply results in a bruise, but sometimes serious bleeding occurs and may require a blood transfusion or surgical procedures.

Having a well trained expert who has performed hundreds of these procedures will reduce many of these complications. Many of these complications can also be avoided by performing the procedure from the radial artery in the wrist. We at Life Neurovascular Institute prefer doing these procedures from the radial artery in the wrist and thus have the least amount of complications and highest success rates.

The procedure is done under sedation and takes 1-2 hours. After this, you will be observed in the NeuroICU overnight before being discharged home. When we perform the procedure from the radial artery, you are able to sit up soon after the procedure.