Summary: Fatty deposits are common in the carotid arteries, which are main pathways for blood to get to your brain. The build-up of this waxy plaque dramatically increases your risk for a stroke, so surgeons often perform a procedure called a carotid endarterectomy to remove these potential blockages. In this Medically Speaking podcast, Sharon Boston interviews Dr. Brajesh Lal, a vascular surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center, about carotid endarterectomy. He describes the surgery, what the recovery is like and who can benefit from this procedure. Dr. Lal, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, also talks about screening for carotid artery blockages as well as some alternatives to surgery.
