NYC Cardiologist that offers same day appointments

NYC Cardiologist

Carotid Artery Disease (CAD) affects the blood vessels leading to your head and brain. It can cause a stroke if the arteries in your head and neck are blocked, thus, depriving your brain of oxygen. Your risk of a stroke increases if the arteries are narrowed by plaque, blocked by a blood clot, or the plaque spreads to other arteries in your head. Interventional Cardiologists have developed a treatment for CAD which prevents strokes. The procedure is called carotid artery angioplasty.

What is carotid artery angioplasty?
Interventional cardiologists use a balloon-tipped catheter to open the congested arteries in your neck. They expand the balloon at the site of the obstruction which condenses the plaque next to the vessel wall.

Carotid angioplasty is often combined with the placement of a stent. The stent acts as a scaffold, to keep the artery open. The extra support improves blood flow to the brain.

What can I expect during a carotid angioplasty-stent procedure?
The procedure takes approximately 30 to 90 minutes. After being wheeled into the cath lab, you’ll be given anesthetic to numb the catheter insertion site. A small incision will be made so the Interventional Cardiologist can thread the balloon catheter into the carotid artery. You may feel a bit of pressure at the insertion site, but you won