brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs)
Surgery
The degree of narrowing in the carotid arteries helps doctors estimate the risk of a stroke or subsequent TIAs and thus determine the need for further treatment. If people are thought to be at high risk (for example, if the carotid artery is narrowed at least 70%), an operation to widen the artery (called Carotid artery surgery ) may be done to reduce the risk. Carotid endarterectomy usually involves removing fatty deposits (atheromas, or plaques) due to atherosclerosis and clots in the internal carotid artery. However, the operation can trigger a stroke because the operation may dislodge clots or other material that can then travel through the bloodstream and block an artery. After the operation, the risk of stroke is lower for several years than it is when medications are used. The procedure can result in a heart attack because people who have this procedure often have risk factors for coronary artery disease. 