This is a surgical procedure, which is done to remove a dangerous area of narrowing (atheroma/ plaque) in the Internal Carotid Artery (ICA).This is done in order to reduce the risk of a further stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) similar or more severe to one already had. It can be performed under local anaesthesia (you are awake) or general anaesthetic (you are asleep). The procedure is done by making a cut starting at the bottom of the neck just above your collar bone, going obliquely upwards and backwards in the direction of the ear lobe. After cleaning the artery of the plaque, it is closed. Most often with a patch to widen the vessel.
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