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Angiología y Cirugía Vascular.jpg
Consultori
DR.-VICENTE-RIAMBAUDR.-VICENTE-RIAMBAU
Riambau Alonso VicenteAngiologia i Cirurgia Vascular
Descripció Serveis Equip Contacte Dades d'interès Horari
Enfermedad carotida

¿Qué es la enfermedad de las arterias carótidas?

Las arterias son las encargadas de transportar sangre rica en oxígeno desde el corazón hacia otras partes del cuerpo. Las arterias carótidas son dos arterias principales que transportan sangre desde el corazón, pasando por el cuello, hasta el cerebro.

Las arterias carótidas sanas son lisas y no presentan obstrucciones, lo cual permite que la sangre fluya libremente hacia el cerebro y proporcione oxígeno, glucosa y otros nutrientes que las células cerebrales necesitan. Con la edad, las arterias carótidas por lo general acumulan placa, una sustancia viscosa compuesta principalmente de grasa y colesterol. La placa estrecha el paso en las arterias y las vuelve rígidas.

La enfermedad de las arterias carótidas se presenta cuando las arterias carótidas se vuelven demasiado estrechas o se obstruyen, lo cual limita el flujo sanguíneo al cerebro. Los infartos cerebrales se producen debido a la obstrucción del flujo sanguíneo hacia el cerebro provocada por la placa o bien, más frecuentemente, cuando se desprenden pequeñas porciones de placa y se dirigen al cerebro (embolias cerebrales). Si la enfermedad de las arterias carótidas no se trata, se puede producir un infarto cerebral, ya que la falta de oxígeno y otros nutrientes esenciales daña el cerebro. Según su gravedad, un infarto cerebral puede ser fatal. De hecho, los infartos cerebrales son la tercera causa de muerte en en mundo occidental y la causa principal de invalidez permanente en adultos mayores.

  • Causes and Risk Factors

    Esquema explicativo de la formación de embolia debido a lesiones en la arteria carótida

    • Age
    • Hypertension (high arterial pressure)
    • Diabetes
    • Smoking
    • High cholesterol
    • Obesity
    • Lack of exercise
    • Family history of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) or cerebral infarction
    • Irregular heart rhythm, especially atrial fibrillation (condition diagnosed from the chambers when the chambers of the heart tremble and beat in an inefficient manner.

    Diagram of the formation of an embolus, in side of the carotid artery (See image).

  • Symptoms

    In the initial stages it is possible not to have any symptoms of carotid artery disease and one of the first signs of the illness may be a cerebral infarction. Nevertheless, there may be some warning signs of a stroke which are called "mini-strokes" or "transitory ischemic attacks." The symptoms of the "mini-strokes" generally are temporary, they last from a few minutes to a few hours and should be treated as medical emergencies that require immediate treatment since they are critical indicators of future cerebral infarctions. Some of the symptoms of cerebral infarcts include:

      • Weakness, numbness or tingling of one side of the body
      • Inability to control movement on one side of the body
      • Loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes
      • Inability to speak clearly
      • Difficulty speaking or understand what other says
      • Nausea or confusion
  • Diagnosis

    A non-invasive carotid Doppler can confirm the diagnosis of carotid artery disease and to determine its severity. If you experience symptoms of a mini-stroke (as previously described), consult a vascular surgeon who treats vascular diseases and can make available treatments, including the administration of medications, perform endovascular procedures with stent angioplasty and the surgical treatment referred to as a carotid endarterectomy.

    All the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures should be performed by expert professionals who are experts in this type of illness.

    La imagen de la bifurcación de la carótida ultrasonido Doppler Imagen de la estenosis de la arteria carótida en la angiografía

    Image 1 (left): Diagnosis by carotid Doppler of a bifurcation of the carotid arteries.

    Image 2 (right): Film of stenosis of the carotid artery by angiography.

  • Treatments

    According to the severity of the illness, the options of treatment may include life style changes, medications or interventional procedures such as carotid endarterectomy, or stent angioplasty by means of endovascular techniques.

    According to the international guides of clinical performance and the most recent medical literature, a carotid endarterectomy is recommended as first choice because it offers the best results both in asymptomatic patients (those who have not yet presented symptoms but with equal or stenosis greater than 70%) as well asymptomatic ones (who have presented symptoms of cerebral embolism).

    The angioplasty with stent is a good alternative when patients who need intervention are high-risk surgical patients (severe cardiopathy, irradiated necks, intracranial lesions). Professionals who practice any of these techniques should have a great deal of experience and offer low rates of complications.

    Tratamiento enfermedad carotida

    Carotid stent- parche of widening of the carotid artery after endarterectomy, specimen of carotid plaque extracted by endarterectomy

    Only an expert vascular surgeon can offer you all these types of treatment and for you to likewise receive the most appropriate treatment for your disease. This is the case of our team.

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