Good afternoon all,
I wanted to post this so if any of you come in contact with someone who has or is having a "mini-stroke", you can identify the symptoms. I also would like to pick your brains to see if the treatment my step father is receiving is par with the course. I'm sure the members of this board have either experienced or learned about what can happen if you have a severe blockage of your carotid artery, but in case you haven't, I want to share.
My step father experienced a mini-stroke over this past weekend (his symptoms included extreme dizziness, and the inability to communicate either verbally or written), and the results from the scans and tests done at the ER revealed a 100% blockage of the right carotid artery and a blood clot deeply embedded within his brain. The medical staff says there is NO surgery that can correct either of these conditions, and they have been issuing him blood thinners and other drugs to attempt to dissolve the blockage(s).
I read about a procedure called a Carotid endarterectomy which apparently has great results if performed by an experienced team. The following is a snip from the Mayo clinic's website:
Quote:
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Surgery is best for most patients with symptoms: Carotid endarterectomy should be strongly considered for symptomatic patients with 70 to 99 percent blockage in the carotid artery. It also should be considered for those with 50 to 69 percent stenosis. Doctors agree that for most patients with moderate to severe blockage, surgery is the safest and most effective treatment, if it is done by a surgical team that has a very low complication rate.
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Any suggestions, comments, or advice are welcome, and I appreciate you taking the time to read this.
Bryan
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