Carotid Artery
Your carotid arteries are blood vessels located in the right and left sides of your neck. These vessels supply oxygen-rich blood to your brain. Narrowing of these vessels may result in a brain attack more commonly known as a stroke. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience numbness or weakness in your extremities, sudden changes in your vision, slurred speech, or a facial droop. Carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure utilized to reopen narrowed carotid arteries.
An incision is made near the carotid artery in your neck. Once exposed, a small incision is made in the artery itself.
Your blood may be rerouted for a short time with a small tube called a shunt. The shunt allows blood to flow to your brain while your artery is repaired. If blood flow is sufficiently strong in your other carotid artery, you may not need a shunt.
Your surgeon will carefully loosen and remove the fatty substance called plaque from the artery wall. Restoring the carotid artery to its smooth and open state allows for healthy blood flow to the brain and reduces the formation of emboli or blood clots that commonly lead to stroke.
Once the shunt is removed, the surgeon sutures the artery incision and also closes the neck incision. A small drainage tube may be placed at the incision site for the first 24 hours. A sterile bandage will cover the incision.
