Transcervical extracorporeal reverse flow neuroprotection for reducing the risk of stroke during carotid artery stenting

The procedure

This procedure aims to reduce the risk of a stroke during surgery to insert a stent.

Under anaesthetic, a catheter (or thin tube) is inserted into the carotid artery through a small cut in the neck. The artery is clamped to reverse the blood flow away from the brain. The blood is filtered outside the body and then returned through a catheter into a vein in the neck or the groin. While the blood flow is reversed, the stent is inserted. When the stent is in the right place, blood flow is returned to normal and the catheters are removed.