Weill Medical College of Cornell University

• Home
• Arteriovenous Malformations
• Aneurysms
• Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting
• Skull Base Surgery
• Microvascular Decompression
• Stereotactic Radiosurgery
• External Beam Therapy
• Gamma Knife
• LINAC
• X-knife

Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting

Carotid occlusive disease occurs when one or both of the carotid arteries in the neck, which supply blood to the brain, become narrowed or blocked. This can cause a transient ischemic attack (or TIA), or if blood flow is not re-established, a stroke.

In many cases, surgical removal of plaque (or carotid endarterctomy) is performed to restore normal blood flow. However, some patients may not be candidates for surgery, or the site of the occlusion may be out of reach of normal surgical procedures. In these circumstances endovascular surgeons can perform carotid angioplasty, followed by carotid stenting as an alternative to surgery for these patients. Commonly used in other parts of the body, including coronary and renal arteries, angioplasty is a minimally invasive technique wherein a small balloon is inserted into a blood vessel allowing the vessel lumen (the inner space of the blood vessel) can be expanded. Once the lumen has been restored, a stent can be inserted to maintain the restored opening. For blood vessels supplying the brain, a protection device is employed to prevent stroke, which could result from dislodged plaque particles.