McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center offers a breakthrough technology called TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) to treat patients with carotid artery disease. Although repairing the carotid artery carries a risk of stroke, TCAR is designed to minimize this risk by keeping potential stroke-causing fragments away from the brain.

Like the open surgery carotid endarterectomy (CEA), this innovative procedure provides direct access to the carotid artery but through a much smaller incision at the neckline just above the clavicle, rather than a longer incision on the neck. TCAR is unique in that blood flow is temporarily reversed during the procedure so that any small bits of plaque that may break off are diverted away from the brain, preventing a stroke from happening. Then, the stent is placed inside the artery to stabilize the plaque and minimize the risk of a future stroke. The entire procedure is performed in less than half the time of CEA—limiting the stress on the heart and significantly reducing the risk of the patient having a stroke or heart attack during the procedure. TCAR provides robust blood flow reversal and avoids crossing the disease unprotected, so there is about a 50 percent reduction of stroke when compared to stenting through the groin (TFCAS).

Patients who undergo the TCAR procedure typically spend one night in the hospital and often go home the next day with less pain, smaller scars, and a reduced risk of future strokes.

Your physician may recommend the TCAR procedure if you’ve been diagnosed with carotid artery disease. For more information about TCAR, ask your primary care physician for a referral to one of our vascular surgeons: https://providers.mckweb.com/?Specialties=133.