A vascular surgeon at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has performed the state’s first transcarotid artery stenting using flow reversal, a new technique that provides a less invasive and potentially safer option to treat plaque buildup in the carotid artery.
The carotid artery is the main vessel in the neck that supplies blood to the brain, neck, and face. Plaque buildup in the carotid artery is a major cause of stroke, and often patients discover the blockage after experiencing stroke-like symptoms or a brief stroke-like episode known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA).
Kyla R. Shelton, MD, performed the procedure. She is an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine.
Shelton said transcarotid artery stenting is preferable in certain patients to traditional methods for several reasons.
One traditional approach is carotid stenting from the femoral artery in the thigh. The surgeon has to thread through a lengthy amount of blood vessels before ever reaching the carotid artery, and once there, has to cross through the area of plaque buildup before deploying a protective device that is shaped like an umbrella prior to stenting the carotid artery. Traveling so far and crossing the plaque creates multiple opportunities for a piece of plaque to come loose and travel to the brain.
Another traditional approach includes open surgery at the carotid, which is an effective approach but is not right for all patients, Shelton said.
“I’m happy to have another option to offer patients who are older or are otherwise not suited for open surgery or transfemoral carotid stenting,” Shelton said. “I think this new technique has the potential to replace some of our older methods in a way that serves patients.”