What is a carotid angioplasty and stenting?

The carotid artery is a major artery in the neck that carries blood to the brain. Carotid angioplasty is used to open a narrowed artery to allow more blood to flow through to help prevent stroke. Stents are used to prop an artery open after angioplasty. A stent is a wire mesh tube that is collapsed into a small diameter, put over a balloon catheter and moved into the area of blockage. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands and locks in place, holding the artery open. The stent stays in the artery permanently to prop it open and improve blood flow.

 

As in the treatment of coronary artery disease, a stent can be used to prop open a carotid artery that has been severely narrowed by atherosclerotic plaque. This procedure, known as carotid angioplasty, is an alternative to endarterectomy. Instead of opening the artery surgically, the doctor inserts the collapsed stent with a wire threaded through an artery (the aorta) into the carotid artery. The stent is expanded at the site of the narrowing and is left there to hold the blood vessel open.

The stent's job is to prevent a stroke by maintaining blood flow to the artery. A stent is most often used to treat a narrowing at the origin of the internal carotid artery. However, it also poses a risk of dislodging fragments of atherosclerotic plaque that can trigger a stroke.