V
Carotid Endarterectomy
At Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital, vascular surgeons
possess extensive experience helping diagnose and treat patients who may
need surgical intervention for atherosclerotic plaque buildup in the carotid
arteries, a potentially dangerous health condition. Plaque accumulation
can block blood flow to the brain, or break into small particles leading to a
transient ischemic attack, mini-stroke, or permanent, disabling stroke.
The main treatment for atherosclerotic
plaque of the cervical internal carotid
artery is carotid endarterectomy
(CEA), a procedure first described
in the mid-1950s and used increasingly
as a stroke prevention measure during the
1960s and 1970s. Carotid endarterectomy
removes the inner lining of the carotid
artery where plaque deposits are located,
eliminating the source of a neurological event.
Patients unable to undergo CEA for various
medical reasons may benefit from another
procedure, carotid angioplasty and stenting, to
Carotid Endarterectomy
open and cover the obstructing plaque. Vascular
surgeons on the medical staff at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular
Hospital have been involved in years of research and clinical studies related
to carotid stenting devices and techniques.
DIAGNOSTIC TESTING
52
To diagnose carotid artery disease, Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular
Hospital offers tests including carotid ultrasound, carotid angiography, and
computed tomography angiography.
Carotid ultrasound, also called sonography, shows vascular surgeons if
plaque has narrowed a patient’s arteries and to what extent; a Doppler
carotid ultrasound demonstrates how blood moves through the carotid
arteries. In carotid angiography, an x-ray procedure, contrast dye is
inserted into the patient’s vein, usually through the leg, and travels to the
carotid arteries to highlight them in x-ray images. Computed tomography
angiography, or CT angiography, takes x-ray pictures of the body from
many angles and combines them to produce two- and three-dimensional
images. CT angiography allows vascular surgeons to visualize the carotid
arteries and may include the use of contrast dye.
VASCULAR SURGERY
VOLUMES
2,312
FY15
FY16
2,587
2,672
FY17
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Leaders in vascular surgery
education, surgeons on the
Dallas campus offer once a
quarter video conferences
to eight sites around the
country. Special case studies
are used to enhance other
clinicians’ knowledge on
vascular surgery topics.
1957
Jesse Thompson, MD,
performed Dallas’ first
carotid endarterectomy
It became the standard for
the next half century. In
fiscal year 2017, more than
160 procedures involving
the carotid artery including
carotid endarterectomy
and carotid stents occurred
at Baylor Hamilton Heart
and Vascular Hospital.
“The vascular program at Baylor Dallas has long been considered the premier program.
With the second oldest vascular surgery fellowship in the country, the program has historic
roots with Jesse Thompson, MD, the founder of the vascular group and especially known for
his pioneering work in carotid endarterectomy.”
John F. Eidt, MD, RVT, RPVI, FACS
Vice Chair - Vascular Surgery – Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital, Baylor University Medical Center