
To keep your cells healthy and functioning, a network of blood vessels circulates blood throughout your body to deliver oxygen and remove waste. Arteries carry blood full of oxygen and nutrients to every corner of your body. Once the blood releases its vital payload, it returns to the heart through the veins to prepare for recirculation.
A variety of conditions can affect your vascular health, and some may require surgery, including:
Altru is home to a team of vascular care doctors who specialize in the care of patients with vascular disease. Altru vascular surgeons perform noninvasive diagnostic tests that can detect the presence of vascular conditions, some of which may not cause symptoms. Surgical and nonsurgical treatment options are available.
Altru vascular surgeons perform a variety of surgeries to treat vascular disease by improving blood flow. These procedures include endovascular surgery, which is a category of minimally invasive procedures to treat PAD and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and vascular leg surgery to treat PAD and varicose veins. If minimally invasive surgery isn’t appropriate for you, open surgery may be an option.
Altru vascular surgeons also offer two surgical options to treat carotid artery disease: carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR).
You may need to undergo CEA if you have a major blockage in one of the two carotid arteries in your neck that supply blood to the brain. That kind of blockage could cause a stroke. During CEA, a vascular surgeon removes plaque from the artery through an incision in the side of your neck.
If you are considered high risk for CEA due to your age or other health problems, you may be able to undergo TCAR, which is a less invasive option.
TCAR is a minimally invasive procedure that helps reduce the risk of a stroke by removing the loose plaque from your blood, which could cause a stroke. During TCAR, a small tube called a stent is also placed to prevent additional plaque from breaking free.
How Does TCAR Work?
Both CEA and TCAR can reduce your risk of stroke, but TCAR offers additional benefits, including:
Schedule an appointment with a vascular surgeon through MyChart. For more information, call 701.780.6400 for Vascular Medicine or 701.780.6427 for Vascular Surgery.
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