Carotid or vertebral artery stenting for the treatment of carotid or vertebral stenosis is now available at St. Mary’s Hospital. This procedure is currently an alternative to endarterectomy or sugical bypass only in specific situations. These include:

• Post endarterectomy re-stenosis
• Difficult surgical access due to high or low carotid bifurcation
• Vasculitis related stenosis (e.g. fibromuscular dysplasia, other arteritis)
• Radiation induced stenosis / vasculitis

Patients who are candidates must have appropriate consultation with the radiologist prior to any procedure. Appropriate indications, risks and outcomes should be discussed.

Vertebral stenting can also be performed when stenosis, narrowing or unstable plaque is causing vertebrobasilar syndrome. Vertebral artery stenting would usually be considered after standard medical management is not successful. The procedure should be proceeded by appropriate angiography or MRI studies to assess the hemodynamics within the brain.

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Red arrowhead indicates high grade stenosis, at previous endarterectomy site, right distal common carotid artery and bifurcation.

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Red arrowhead indicates excellent result after carotid stenting.

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Severe ulcerated narrowing of left vertebral artery indicated by arrowhead in a patient with bilateral upper and lower extremity numbness and elevated sedimentation rate.

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Excellent result post stent placement (arrowhead). Improved intracerebral flow also confirmed.

Other Services

	Peripheral Angiography and Angioplasty Diagnostic angiography and therpeutic angioplasty and stenting for treatment of peripheral vascular disease
	Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Method to treat painful spinal compression fractures
	Aneurysm Coiling Alternative to surgical treatment of cerebral aneurysms in specific circumstances
	Cardiac MRI Rapidly advancing method to evaluate ischemic heart disease and for the detection of hibernating myocardium
	Uterine Artery Embolization A non-surgical alternative to hysterectomy for the treatment of fibroid tumors of the uterus
	Aorta and Great Vessels MRI and CT can beautifully demonstrate abnormalities previously requiring catheter angiography
	Renal Artery Stenosis Screening For the evaluation of medically resistant high blood pressure
	Peripheral MRA of the Extremities MRI technique for patients with claudication, rest pain or extremity ulcer without the need for catheter angiography