For patients with carotid artery disease (a buildup of plaque in the vessels that supply the brain), Duke offers the full spectrum of treatment options, including stenting, catheter-directed thrombolysis (for acute stroke), and surgical reconstruction.

Duke’s experienced specialists perform hundreds of procedures each year.

Treatment is offered for both cervical and intracranial carotid artery disease.

Sometimes called “hardening of the arteries,” carotid artery disease is a leading cause of stroke. Risk factors include smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol.

Treatments offered include:

• Risk factor management
• Stroke prevention and treatment
• Carotid artery stenting
• Coiling and stenting of intracranial lesions
• Catheter-directed thrombolysis for acute stroke
• Surgical reconstruction under local and general anesthesia

Clinical trials involving stenting are also offered.

For some patients, Duke’s specialists perform open carotid surgery under local anesthesia, which can mean faster recovery with fewer complications.

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Lawson, Jeffrey H.
• McCann, Richard L.
• Mureebe, Leila
• Shortell, Cynthia E. K.

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke University Hospital
  2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710