Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center is the first local hospital to treat carotid artery disease and prevent future strokes using a new procedure, called TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR).
 
TCAR is a clinically proven, minimally invasive and safe approach for high surgical risk patients who need carotid artery treatment.
 
Carotid artery disease is a buildup of plaque in the two main arteries in the neck that supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain.
 
If left untreated, carotid artery disease can often lead to stroke, and it’s estimated to be the source of stroke in up to a third of cases, with 400,000 new diagnoses of the disease made every year in the United States alone.
 
“TCAR is an important new option in the fight against stroke and is particularly suited for the large portion of patients we see who are at higher risk of complications from carotid surgery due to age, anatomy, or other medical conditions,” said Robert Sinyard, M.D., chief medical officer (CMO) at Piedmont Athens Regional. “Because of its low-stroke risk and faster patient recovery, I believe TCAR is a major step forward in the surgical treatment of carotid disease.”
 
TCAR is unique in that blood flow is temporarily reversed during the procedure so that any small bits of plaque that may break off are diverted away from the brain, preventing a stroke from happening.
 
A stent is then placed inside the artery to stabilize the plaque, minimizing the risk of a future stroke.
 
“Prior to TCAR, the main treatment option for severe carotid artery disease was open surgical procedure,” Dr. Sinyard said. “As technology has evolved, the options for treating carotid disease have become better with fewer complications. TCAR is proving to be a superior choice for many patients”.