Danbury Hospital is the first in western Connecticut to offer a minimally invasive procedure to treat carotid artery disease.  Dr. Alan Dietzek says TransCarotid Artery Revascularization is a clinically proven, safe option for those at high risk of complications from traditional open surgery.

He says Carotid artery disease can be difficult to detect and the first symptom is often a stroke.  The buildup of plaque in the two main arteries in the neck that supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain is estimated to cause up to one-third of strokes, with 400,000 new diagnoses of the disease made in the United States each year.

The surgery is performed through a small incision in the neck, for direct access to place a stent.  Dietzek says TCAR is unique because blood flow is temporarily reversed during the procedure, meaning that any pieces of plaque detaching from the wall of the artery are diverted away from the brain, preventing a stroke from happening.

TCAR has been approved as an inpatient procedure for select patient populations, based on age, risk factors, and anatomic conditions.