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CAROTIDEA ILLNESS.
Endovascular procedures of the carotid estenosis . What are the carotid arteries?
They are two large arteries that are located to each side of the neck and which carry the blood to most of the brain, where the functions of the language reside, memory, etc, as well as the areas of the mobility and the sensibility. Other two arteries exist, but small, called vertebral which run to the cervical column and that irrigate the subsequent part of the encéfalo (cerebral trunk and cerebellum)
What is the carotid illness? Same as the coronary arteries, the carotid arteries can be a place where the arteriosclerosis can be located, which produce accumulation of grease and cholesterol (plate of ateroma) in the wall of the artery. This produces with time a narrowing of the artery with a decrease of the cerebral flow which general what we call ictus or cerebrovascular accident (ACV). This can happen because the arteries are tightened too much, due to a piece of plate which is removed and oclude cerebral vessels, or because a coagulation is formed to level of the plate of the ateroma and narrow or oclude the carotid. The ACV is produced when the neurons do not receive the oxygen and the glucose transported by the blood. These elements are essential for the life of the neurons. If the lack to recieve blood for more than 3 to 6 hours, the damage can be permanent.
How frequent is the illness?
The cerebrovascular illness is the third cause of death and cause of invalidity in thousands of people yearly. After suffering an ACV, the possibility of a person to present a new episode in five years is of nearly 25%.
Who run risks to have an estenosis of the carotid artery? The people that have greater risk to suffer it are:
- Over 50 years.
- Smokers.
- Diabetic.
- Obese.
- Sedentary habit.
- Having high blood pressure and/or with high cholesterol.
- Family antecedents of pathology vascular.
- People that have been dealt with radiation therapy in the neck.
Which are the symptoms of the estenosis of artery carotid? Many times the illness does not present symptoms. It can be deadly or to leave the person incapacitated, for which the premature diagnosis is fundamental. A transitory ischemic accident (AIT) is a temporary episode of:
- Difficulty to speak or to understand what others say.
- Weakness, swarming or paralysis of the face, arm or leg of a side of the body.
- Loss of vision or blurry vision in one or in both eyes…
- Loss of the equilibrium and of the coordination.
An AIT can last minutes to hours. An AIT is a medical emergency since it is impossible to predict if it is going to progress into a greater vascular accident . The immediate processing can save the life of the patient or to enlarge the chances of a complete recovery.
How is the estenosis of carotid artery diagnosed? Aside from the clinical exams that orients the diagnose, it can be utilized methods of image as the ultrasound doppler, the angiorresonancia, the angiotomografía and the conventional angiography that requires a simple cateterism. How can the estenosis of the carotid artery be treated? In recent years, the endovascular procedures of the ateroscleróticas carotídeas wounds has arisen potential therapeutic alternatives to surgical procedures by endarterectomía.
The endovascular processing with stent (small tubular prosthesis that is inserted in the sick walls of the arteries to enlarge its caliber) of the wounds of carotid has the following advantages in respect to surgical processing: it is carried out without general anaesthesia, permitting better clinical control and monitoring of the patient; greater comfort of the patient, smaller time of recovery and smaller cost; absence of cervical incision eliminating the risks of paralysis of Hematomas and local infections; processing of other wounds in other arteries can be carried out simultaneously (ej.:vertebrales and coronary); reduction of morbimortalidad in patients of high risk; and therapeutic alternative to the patients with not accessible wounds by surgery. How can I know if I have estenosis of the carotid artery?
If you suspect that you suffer this illness, you should consult it with your doctor so that he can carry out the evaluations and pertinent studies.
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Man of 49 years of age who begins a month ago with symptoms of intermittent yielding to the few meters. After physical exam emphasizes the absence of poplíteo pulse and distant in right lower member. 
Woman of 58 years of age who presents frontal migraine of oppressive type, followed by sensation of sicknesses and loss of consciousness.
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