Life saving advanced technology to clear blocked carotid arteries.
Highlights of a minimally invasive carotid stent procedure to treat carotid artery blockage and prevent strokes will be shown from Tampa General Hospital on the Internet on September 28, 2006 at 4 p.m. Physicians will narrate the procedure and answer your questions live as taped highlights are shown. Carotid artery stenting is minimally invasive and replaces open surgery to clean out a blocked artery and has proven to be superior to open surgery in all patients, including high-risk patients. The goal of a carotid stent is to reduce the risk of stroke and improve blood flow to the brain.
Every 45 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke. Stroke or ‘brain attack’ occurs when a part of the brain is deprived of blood and oxygen –often as a result of a carotid artery blockage. Lack of oxygenated blood and nutrients causes nerve cell death within minutes. When nerve cell death occurs, the part of the body controlled by the nerve no longer works properly.
