Dignity Health | hello Healthy | Summer 2019

HelloHealthy | Summer 2019 5 Every year, 15 million people worldwide experience a stroke, also known as a brain attack. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or reduced, which deprives a person’s brain of oxygen and nutrients – causing brain cells to die. While there are several causes for stroke, it is estimated that up to a third of cases are caused by carotid artery disease – the buildup of plaque in the arteries in the neck that supply blood from your heart to your brain. When plaque builds up in the carotid arteries, they begin to narrow and blood flow slows down, potentially causing a stroke if blood flow stops or plaque fragments dislodge and travel up to the brain. Some individuals can manage carotid artery disease with medications and lifestyle changes. However, more severe cases may require surgery to repair the blockage in the artery. Dignity Health – St. Joseph’s Medical Center is offering a new technology called transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) to treat patients with carotid artery disease who are not good candidates for traditional open-heart surgery, known as carotid endarterectomy (CEA). “TCAR is an important new option in the fight against stroke, and is particularly suited for patients who are at higher risk of complications from carotid surgery due to age, other medical conditions, or anatomic issues.” says Amod Tendulkar, MD, cardiothoracic surgery. Like CEA, the TCAR procedure involves direct access to the carotid artery, but through a much smaller incision at the neckline just above the clavicle instead of a longer incision on the neck. During the TCAR procedure, a tube inserted into the carotid artery is connected to a system that temporarily directs blood flow away from the brain to protect against dangerous debris reaching the brain during the procedure. Surgeons then filter the blood before returning it to a vein in the groin, and a stent is implanted directly into the carotid artery to stabilize the plaque and prevent future strokes. Patients who undergo the TCAR procedure recover quickly and almost always go home the next day to return to full and productive lives with less pain and smaller scars. STROKE PREVENTION New technology for carotid artery disease 15 million people worldwide experience a stroke each year. Up to 1 ⁄ 3 of stroke cases are caused by carotid artery disease. Can TCAR help you? If you have been diagnosed with carotid artery disease and would like to learn more about TCAR, please call our Heart Patient Navigator at 209.467.6540 .