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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffAs with any surgical procedure, complications may occur. The following complications may be associated with carotid angioplasty and stenting:
- Stroke or ministroke (transient ischemic attack, or TIA). During angioplasty, blood clots that may form on the catheters can break loose and travel to your brain. Blood thinners are given during the procedure to reduce this risk. A stroke can also occur if plaques in your artery are dislodged when the catheters are being threaded through the blood vessels.
- New narrowing of the carotid artery (restenosis). A major drawback of carotid angioplasty is the chance that your artery will re-narrow within months of the procedure. Stents were developed to reduce the risk of restenosis.
- Blood clots. Blood clots can form within stents even weeks or months after angioplasty. These clots may cause a stroke or death. It's important to take aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix) and other medications exactly as prescribed to decrease the chance of clots forming in your stent.
- Bleeding. You may have bleeding at the site in your leg where catheters were inserted. Usually this simply results in a bruise, but sometimes serious bleeding occurs and may require a blood transfusion or surgical procedures.
References
- Lanzino G, et al. Treatment of carotid artery stenosis: Medical therapy, surgery or stenting? Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2009;84:362.
- Greelish JP, et al. Carotid angioplasty and stenting. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 9, 2009.
- Riles TS, et al. Cerebrovascular disease. In: Townsend CM Jr, et al. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/130704983-4/0/1565/619.html?tocnode=54739952&fromURL=619.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3675-3..50068-X_3758. Accessed April 9, 2009.
- Sacco RL, et al. Primary prevention of ischemic stroke. Stroke. 2006;37:577.
- Angioplasty and vascular stenting. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=angioplasty. Accessed April 10, 2009.
- Carotid artery disease. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/catd/catd_all.html. Accessed April 14, 2009.
