Surgery

Emergency Treatment | Medications |  Surgery

Carotid endarterectomy - This is surgery to remove fatty deposits from one of the two main arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain. The surgery has been shown to prevent stroke in some people who have had TIA's (mini strokes) or people who are symptom free, but have a blockage of 60 to 99 percent. Today, this surgery is proving more successful than ever in preventing stroke, reducing risk by as much as 55 percent.

Angioplasty - This is a surgical technique that may be used for people whose blockages are not opened with drugs. In angioplasty, a balloon-tipped catheter is inserted into an artery outside the brain. The catheter is delicately threaded into the brain and into the partially blocked artery. The balloon inflates, pressing the plaque caused by cholesterol against the walls of the artery. This allows the blood to circulate.

Clipping - This surgical procedure is used for the treatment of aneurysms, weak areas in the wall of a blood vessel. Clipping involves clamping off the aneurysm from the blood vessel which reduces the chance that it will burst and bleed.

Sources for this report include the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Consumer Guide No. #16 AHQR pub. no. 95-0664 US Agency For Healthcare Research and Quality.