Stent or Surgery? What Should A Patient Elect to Open a Clogged Neck Artery?!

A recent study performed by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore has answered the dangerous question surrounding clogged neck arteries and the appropriate treatment.  That is, should a patient elect for a stenting procedure or for surgery.  The answer: doesn’t matter!
While this sounds not conclusive and possibly even not helpful, it really is.  The study shows that either option is just as effective.  Researchers found that stenting or surgery will keep the arteries clear for at least two years following the procedure, and therefore helping to prevent a stroke.

The neck arteries, called carotid arteries, are very power and important arteries.  Blockages here really spell disaster for a patient, and they are quite complicated for doctors to operate on.  However, the only cause about ten percent of all strokes.  However, unlike coronary arteries—the arteries on the outside of the heart providing it oxygen to continue pumping with just ferocity—which re-block about twenty-percent of the time, carotid arteries re-block at a quite smaller percentage (less than one percent!!).

So which should you get?  Well, you should listen to your doctor’s recommendation.  The more damage there is to the artery or the more blocked the artery, the more likely a surgery is appropriate.  This manner also happens to be a little bit cheaper as well.  However, it is significantly more invasive.  On the other hand, stenting is a lot less invasive and is a significantly better option for elderly patients.  Moreover, stenting also lowers the risks of heart attacks relative to surgery.

But what do you think?  I would love to hear from you!  I welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@mmolaw.net.  You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.