What is the Transcarotid Artery Transcervical Revascularization Technique? What does it consist of?
It is a novel technique for the treatment of carotid stenosis, a narrowing that occurs in the arteries that supply the brain due to the formation of atheroma plaques.
By means of the TCAR technique we are able to access the lesion through a minimal incision at the base of the neck, under local anesthesia. Through a puncture on the common carotid artery a stent is inserted which will solve the stenosis and will restore normal blood flow to the brain stabilizing, in turn, the atheroma plaque.
The main advantage of the HRCT technique is that, during the entire procedure, we keep the brain protected from possible embolisms with a special system that reverses the flow in the carotid artery, so that no particle can travel to the brain and block any artery causing a heart attack. In addition, the fact that it can be performed under local anesthesia means that the patient can stay awake at all times and alert the surgeon if he/she feels anything strange or is unwell.
Is it possible to prevent a stroke with this technique? How?
Of course, in fact it is the main objective of this technique. Up to 30% of strokes or cerebral infarctions are caused by the presence of stenosis in the carotid artery. With this technique we manage to correct this situation and avoid the appearance of a stroke in the future, stabilizing the atheroma plaque with the Stent and re-establishing a normalized blood flow to the brain.
Are there any limitations to its use?
There are some anatomical conditions that will make the patient suitable or not for this technique, but in approximately 90% of the cases it will be possible to perform it. In addition, the fact that it can be performed under local anesthesia alone means that even delicate patients at high surgical risk can benefit from this treatment.
What are the results of this technique?
The results of this technique in the different published studies are excellent and encouraging. It is the carotid stenting technique with the lowest preoperative stroke rate published to date. It also has a lower rate of procedure-related myocardial infarction and a lower rate of neck nerve injury compared to traditional surgery.