Carotid Artery Disease

Overview

Carotid Artery Disease develops when fatty plaques build up in the two main arteries in your neck (carotids), reducing blood flow to the brain. Untreated, these plaques can rupture or shed clots, triggering a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or full stroke. Early diagnosis and intervention are vital to prevent life-threatening brain injury.

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Major Risk Factors

• Smoking
• High LDL cholesterol or high cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes or obesity
• Age > 55 (men) or > 65 (women)
• Family history of early heart disease or stroke
• Sedentary lifestyle and poor diet

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Warning Signs & Symptoms

Carotid plaques often grow silently. Seek urgent help if you notice:

• Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the face, arm or leg
• Slurred speech or difficulty understanding words (TIA warning)
• Temporary loss of vision in one eye (amaurosis fugax)
• Dizziness, loss of balance, or unexplained falls

These “mini-strokes” demand immediate medical review – they are a red flag that a disabling stroke could follow.

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Diagnosis

Our vascular team offers same-day assessment:

1. Carotid Doppler ultrasound – painless scan to measure plaque size and blood-flow speed.
2. CT angiography – detailed 3-D images for surgical planning when needed.
3. Cardiovascular risk profiling – blood tests, blood pressure and ECG to guide holistic treatment

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Treatment & Prevention

Lifestyle & Medical Therapy

• Smoking cessation, Mediterranean-style diet, supervised exercise.
• Statins, antiplatelet drugs (aspirin ± clopidogrel) and blood-pressure control to stabilise plaques.

Procedural Options

• Carotid endarterectomy – gold-standard surgery to remove plaque if narrowing is ≥ 50–70 % with symptoms or ≥ 60–80 % without.
• Carotid stenting – minimally invasive option for selected patients at high surgical risk.
  Both procedures sharply cut future stroke risk when performed by experienced vascular surgeons.

Ongoing Follow-up

• Regular duplex scans to monitor both carotids.
• Coordination with our Stroke-Prevention, Cardiology and Diabetes services for comprehensive risk reduction.

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Why Choose Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital?

• Consultant vascular and stroke-prevention specialists under one roof
• Rapid access to on-site ultrasound, CT & MRI
• Proven surgical outcomes with minimal waiting times
• Personalised lifestyle and medication programmes
• Private en-suite rooms and 24/7 nursing care during recovery

Have you had a TIA or been told you have a carotid bruit? Don’t wait for a stroke. Contact our team for a fast, thorough assessment.