Blockage of carotid artery with no intervention till 80% blocked?

Hello, I have posted my account of the procedure I had here in UK
If the artery is above 75% (mine was about 80%)
Being that you are 68 years old, I would have anticipated that the vascular specialist would be eager to operate before you have TIA or full strokes
Hope this helps

@tskeane hello I have mentioned in an earlier post that I have had my left Carotid operated upon as an endarterectomy. It wax approx 80% full such that it was seen as urgent to have the procedure
Your family doctor should be investigating the vascular surgeons in your area. There must be one who would recognise the necessity for the operation. Do not give up!

@heidemarie
Hello
Having a stroke whilst and post surgery I was advised by the consultants are rare, however, as it is a possibility
They must warn patients
From my personal experience I would knock on your consultant’s door and tell him / her, to get the operating table ready. Go for the procedure

What do you think of this from AI:
Blockage Thresholds by Symptom Status
Symptomatic Patients (Recent TIA or Stroke):Surgery is generally considered for blockages of 50% to 69%.Surgery is strongly recommended for blockages of 70% to 99%.“Carotid endarterectomy is typically recommended for patients who have had a prior TIA or mild stroke to reduce the risk of future strokes.”, as noted by Atrium Health Navicent.Asymptomatic Patients (No Recent Symptoms):Blockages under 60% are usually managed with medicine and lifestyle changes alone.Surgery is typically considered only if the blockage is 60% to 80% or greater, and depends on overall health risks.“Carotid endarterectomy is mainly for people whose carotid arteries are blocked 50 percent or more.”
So the bigger question is what are your symptoms related to the blockage?

@tskeane why on earth has your physician not sent you to a vascular specialist to have an endarterectomy or a stent placement?

@socapatoy I am not experiencing a blocked artery, but I have learned some important lessons about being proactive to manage stress and fear about medical conditions. I needed cervical spine surgery and every time I thought about that, I was driving my blood pressure up a lot. I had to find a way to intercept that fear pathway and I did. I started with deep breathing to relaxing music. Singing can help too because it forces you to have a long exhale and that helps relax you. When you start pairing this with peaceful imagery, your mind can take you away to a safe place anytime you need to de-stress. I also asked myself lots of questions and found the source of my learned fear and essentially deprogrammed it. Stress escalates heath issues a lot. My dad was also a heart patient, and I didn’t want that to become my future and it all started to change when I asked myself why I was doing this to myself.

@socapatoy
Hello Soca. I found I had 100% blockage of my left carotid artery after having a panoramic X-ray at my dentist’s office. I was sent by my nurse practitioner to a vascular surgeon almost immediately. There was nothing to be done about the blockage (would risk allowing plaque to migrate to my brain). So, in addition to maintaining my statins, the surgeon also had me start to take aspirin (81 mg daily). I asked about changing things in my life (I golf, go to the gym 3 times a week, walk on a treadmill almost daily). He said to continue to do all of those (I was particularly concerned about the gym where I lift weights and use resistance machines). And so I just carry on, getting scans of my left carotid artery every six months to monitor that (it’s something like 50- 60% blocked). When (if?) it’s more seriously blocked (70-80%) then surgical intervention is in order I’m told. My only problem with that is that it’s an insurance thing, not a doctor/patient decision, as maybe I’d do it sooner. But you can’t fight city hall unfortunately. I’d ask the doctor what you can do; not sure what your lifestyle is. But my experience is as described above. Good luck.

Hi @socapatoy - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You've just been given a whole lot of information you may or may not have been prepared for about this 90% blockage.

Waiting for tests and treatment is tough. I sense you'd like to get on with it?

Hoping other members here such as @gloaming @brihug @starfirey2k will have input on what they may have done to protect themselves when they became aware of a blockage but were not yet at treatment. @jenniferhunter also may have some thoughts for you.

What did your doctor suggest you do in the meantime while you are still undergoing testing, socapatoy?

Today I found that I have 90% blockage in right carotid artery. Tests are scheduled in one week. What can I do to protect myself until treatment is available?

@gloaming
Thanks for the comment and I hope your Dad continues to do well. His experience reinforces my belief that “what can be done is being done” and to follow the advice of the experts (my vascular surgeon, etc.) and ignore the concerns of friends and others, even though well meaning, who say I should do something more. Thanks again for the comment and best wishes to your Dad for continued health and quality of life.