Intracranial Artery Stenosis

 

What Is Intracranial Artery Stenosis?

Intracranial Artery Stenosis is a narrowing of an artery inside the brain that can lead to stroke.

Similar to carotid stenosis in the neck, it is caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner wall of the blood vessels.

This narrowing of the blood vessels causes decreased blood flow to the area of the brain that the affected vessels supply.

 

 

There are three ways in which artery stenosis can result in a stroke:

• Plaque can grow larger and larger, severely narrowing the artery and reducing blood flow to the brain. Plaque can eventually completely block (occlude) the artery.
• Plaque can roughen and deform the artery wall, causing blood clots to form and blocking blood flow to the brain.
• Plaque can rupture and break away, traveling downstream to lodge in a smaller artery and blocking blood flow to the brain.

The symptoms of intracranial artery stenosis are a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke, which can be described with the mnemonic FAST:

F: for facial weakness or droop, especially on one side
A: for arm or leg weakness, tingling, or numbness, especially on one side
S: for slurred speech
T: for time. If you or a loved one develops these symptoms, it is time to call 911 immediately.

Symptoms of a TIA and stroke are similar. TIAs result when blood flow to the brain is temporarily interrupted and then restored. The symptoms typically last a couple of minutes and then resolve completely, and the person returns to normal. However, TIAs should not be ignored; they are a warning that an ischemic stroke and permanent brain injury may be looming.

The goal of treatment is to reduce the risk of stroke. Treatment options for intracranial stenosis vary according to the severity of the narrowing and whether you are experiencing stroke-like symptoms or not. Patients are first treated with medication and are encouraged to make lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of stroke. Surgery is limited to patients whose symptoms do not respond to medication. 

The surgeons at Salus treat INTRACRANIAL STENOSIS by performing the following procedures:

     BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY / STENTING

BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY is a MINIMALLY INVASIVE ENDOVASCULAR procedure that compresses the plaque and widens the diameter of the artery. The aim is to reduce stenosis by less than 50%, as a small increase of the vessel diameter results in large increases in blood flow to the brain. Complications from angioplasty can include stroke, tearing of the vessel wall from the catheter or balloon, and vasospasm.

     ANGIOPLASTY

ANGIOPLASTY is typically recommended for patients who have high-grade artery stenosis (greater than 70%) and recurrent TIA or stroke symptoms despite medication treatment. Angioplasty / stenting can successful reduce the stenosis to less than 30% without complications in 60 to 80% of patients

     CEREBRAL ARTERY BYPASS

CEREBRAL ARTERY BYPASS is a surgical procedure that reroutes the blood supply around the plaque-blocked area. Bypass is typically recommended when the artery is 100% blocked and angioplasty is not possible. Results of artery bypass vary widely depending on the location and type of bypass. Complications from bypass can include stroke,vasospasm, and clotting in the donor vessel.