Carotid Artery Surgery After Effects
When plaque accumulates within the carotid arteries, which are the two blood vessels that supply blood to the brain, you may need surgery to correct any narrowing or hardening that has occurred due to this buildup. But the severity of your condition usually dictates the type of operation for which you're eligible. The most common is an endarterectomy, a procedure where plaque and the lining of the affected artery is removed. Yet if you're unable to participate in such a procedure, the next option is typically stenting, where a coil is placed within the affected vessel to manually keep it open.
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Blood Flow
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The most beneficial after effect of either procedure is the reestablishment of proper blood flow along the affected blood vessel. With blood flow to the brain corrected, you reduce the risk of developing complications from carotid artery disease or atherosclerosis, such as transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke.
Stroke
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While the majority of people typically experience positive after effects from carotid artery surgery, there is the potential to suffer from complications with these procedures. If particles of plaque dislodge during an operation or placement of the stent, you may actually have a stroke, as these particles could block the blood flow to a portion of your brain. In this situation, the stroke would occur soon after the operation. However, you may also develop a clot from either operation, and this too could also cause you to suffer a stroke. Clotting may take place soon after the operation, but the blockage prompting the stroke may not happen until much later.
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Restenosis
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There is also the potential to experience the after effect of restenosis, which is essentially a "re-narrowing" of the affected artery. When this occurs, it's usually due to certain habits of lifestyle that initially caused the accumulation of plaque, such as diet, lack of exercise and smoking. With restenosis, this buildup of plaque occurs over time, placing a great deal of importance on your doctor's recommendations after the surgical procedure.
Nerve Injury
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Sometimes, you may experience the after effect of nerve injury along as well as near the area of the procedure. Numbness of the face, neck or tongue is probably one of the more common, but you may also suffer from some hoarseness and swallowing problems. With any of these complications, you should see an improvement of symptoms in a month's time.
Dissection
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Another possible after effect of carotid artery surgery is something called a dissection. A dissection is a tear that forms along the arterial wall from the stent. When this takes place, blood flow to the brain is interrupted and can lead to a stroke.
Hematoma
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In some cases, you may experience the after effect of a hematoma, which is ultimately the collection of blood near the area of your surgical procedure. This may cause some bruising and tenderness where the hematoma has formed.
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