New Method Reduces Stroke Risks in Carotid Surgery

Associate Professor Dr. Gökhan Özdemir, a faculty member of the Neurology Department at Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine, stated that the "staged carotid stenosis intervention," which has been introduced in carotid artery narrowing surgeries, reduces the risk of stroke and death to a minimum.

Özdemir mentioned that the 20 patients he treated using this newly introduced method, which is also being applied globally, successfully underwent the operation without any complications.

Özdemir explained, "We used to encounter serious problems. When the narrowing was very severe, after the artery was opened, blood would rush to the brain. The blood vessels in the brain could not tolerate the high pressure of the incoming blood. As a result, fluid would leak out of the vessels, causing brain swelling and even brain hemorrhages. We have encountered patients in this situation. These hemorrhages could lead to death or permanent paralysis for the patient."

Özdemir, based on the successful results of their procedures, stated that they would now adopt the staged treatment method for patients with severe narrowing, and explained:

"Recently, there has been a global shift towards staged interventions, which I have also applied. In the staged treatment method, before performing the stenting procedure, we use a small balloon to partially widen the artery. This allows the blood vessels in the brain to adjust to the increased blood flow and respond accordingly. After receiving feedback from the brain, we place the stent in the second stage within a week or two, fully opening the artery. The method we have applied to 20 of our patients so far has shown that we can overcome critical issues during and after the operation with the staged intervention. We have not encountered brain hemorrhages or swelling in any of the patients treated using this method."

Özdemir, explaining that they recently performed the intervention on 78-year-old Recep Boydak, who came with severe narrowing in his right carotid artery, stated, "Due to the narrowing, blood was not reaching the brain adequately. With the staged intervention, our patient recovered without any complications."