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Stents vs Surgery
Ozier Muhammad The New York Times Dr John J Ricotta works with another surgeon at Stony Brook University Hospital on Long Island Dr Ricotta sought training in stenting to give patients more options November 29 2005 Stent vs Scalpel By BARNABY J FEDER After Linda Packer a 64 year old social worker in Manhattan fell twice over the Memorial Day weekend and felt vaguely unwell a series of tests revealed a serious problem one of the two main arteries carrying blood to her brain was more than 80 percent blocked by plaque Hers was a fairly advanced case of a condition known as carotid artery disease that becomes increasingly common with age and has been linked to 25 percent of the 700 000 strokes in this country each year It also leads to millions of cases of mini stroke memory loss and other brain impairments that interfere with daily life Doctors told Ms Packer her condition was severe enough to justify cutting open the artery to clear out the plaque Some 150 000 Americans annually undergo such surgery whose risks include strokes heart attacks and infections Until recently the only alternative was a combination of blood thinning drugs and blood pressure medications and watchful waiting But Ms Packer sought a relatively new less invasive alternative called carotid stenting which has been used on more than 10 000 patients since regulators approved it last year The technique widens arteries from the inside by threading a catheter through the circulatory system pressing the plaque into the wall and inserting a metal mesh stent to prop open the artery Despite some complications Ms Packer is pleased with the results of her procedure quot When it comes to carving up my neck and leaving a big scar I could avoid quot she said quot then my vanity comes into play quot But the procedure s seeming ease and its growing popularity have some experts worrying that too many doctors and patients spurred on by medical device makers may embrace it without fully understanding that it
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