Left Carotid Artery 85% Blockage

Yes, although it somewhat depends on where the enlargement is. Even so, the bypass or 'scrape' happens regardless of what is around the vessel, including enlarged vessels. Often the enlargement is more internal than external, meaning the walls of the vessel enlarge, but inward, cutting available volume. This thickening of the wall and reduced volume is what we want to avoid, but you have some of that. You don't say what descriptor was used, or fed back to you, about the extent of enlargement.
This surgery is routine, if tricky for every case, and you'll have an experienced and skilled surgeon working on your heart, a specialist in vascular surgery.

Hello, thank you for your input. I don’t know what a descriptor is. I just know what I was told. An enlarged heart with mild mitral valve prolapse. Nothing was ever done. Also told I was in Heart Failure at that time . EF 35% .
5/4-5/14 found out no HF! EF was 60%. That is when I switched to new Cardio Dr. Also discovered 8 weeks prior left Carotid Artery was 50% blocked now 75%. Also all my other health ailments, I had a Bone Marrow Transplant, hence the Total Body Radiation. Surgery, no Stent, no TCAR. The original way. Cut the neck and clean out the Artery and Pray to God a piece doesn’t slip away to my brain during the process. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Sorry, by descriptor I mean a standard adjective used in the industry to situate the defect in relation to other levels or stages of that defect. For example, the enlargement can be described (with descriptors...) as 'mild,' or 'moderate', or 'severe,' or just a volumetric descriptor such as '5 cc', or 7 cc'. No big deal, just looking for a word that might have you in mild, moderate, or severe categories.
I think you have done the right thing to get a second look at you. The wide variance suggests something is not right.

I can’t thank you enough. I am going today at 2:00pm est for that echocardiogram of my heart . I will ask some questions. I don’t believe the the person performing the test will give me the answers but I do believe I will see them on my Portal my this evening. I will keep you updated. Again, given my medical history, I just don’t have a good feeling. Back in my 14 day stay this past May in Hospital. One of the floor Doctors made a comment to me. She said, ‘You know Kathy, you are not just any Patient. You are a very Special Patient). I thanked her. Since 1981, over all the many, many health obstacles I have come up against, not one of my Doctors ever mentioned anything like that. I am not a patient coming in, with let’s say Thyroid Nodules. Yes I have 6. 3 solid and 3 cystic. From the Treatments in 1981 along with other things. Lung, neuropathy etc. Sloan Kettering won’t even Scan my Thyroid. They only monitor the growth of the Nodules! Mind you 3 are Solid. Sorry, spilling again. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I am a 84 year old female who recently haa a carotid artery ultra sound done. The test showed 70% blockage on the right and below 50% on the left. I saw my Vascular Surgeon who said he does not intend to do anything no further testing or surgery, he feels surgery is too dangerous at my age. This Dr. has a great reputation and had done bypass on my leg for a severe blockage, and I get follow up Doppler's every year. I do take Eliquis blood thinner.I don't know should I seek a 2 nd opinion. or just call 911 if I suspect a TIA s he suggests.

It sounds like your doctor has a good handle on your situation. I would follow his advice.

As a 72 year old who also has about 70% blockage of my right carotid artery but who is asymptomatic, my surgeon would consider surgery (carotid endarterectomy) only if my blockage was to progress or if I was to develop any symptoms. I did some research on line via chatgpt about carotid artery blockage, the surgery, the various test they use (I only had the doppler ultrasound which I understand can be subject to technician and reading variability) and satisfied myself that I didn't need a second opinion at this time. I am staying the course being on a baby aspirin and a statin and will be monitored again in 6 months. The surgery carries risks. Obviously, if you get any symptoms and/or TIA symptoms, it's a 911 call. But it seems to me you're probably getting good advice given the risks of surgery and your surgeon's reputation who is taking your age and presumably your overall health in consideration.

I am an 82 year old male.

If it is of any comfort, on February 12, 2025 I had an episode of amaurosis fugax (blindness in right eye), which resolved itself with total vision recover in a few hours.

Subsequent tests showed that I had a completely occluded right internal carotid artery, and that I had had a "silent" stroke sometime in the past, that I did not notice at the time and that evidently caused little damage in the places that matter.

There was no surgery recommended because of the total occlusion. I am currently on a low dose of aspirin, and a high dose of statins.

This is now the end of October 2025, I see NO physical effects associated with my blocked carotid artery. With the permission of my doctors, I exercise daily (and have done so for many years), getting my heart rate up over 110 bpm, and am totally asymptomatic while I am doing that.

I am told this is because of collateral circulation, the body's natural backup system, consisting of a network of smaller blood vessels that can provide alternative routes for blood flow when a main artery is blocked.

The main alternate pathway for blood flow to the brain is the Circle of Willis, a ring of connected arteries at the base of the brain. This anatomical feature, combined with a network of smaller vessels, can help protect the brain from damage if one of the major arteries becomes blocked.

This alternate pathway probably became gradually more enhanced as the blockage in my right carotid artery increased over the years.

So God bless my Circle of Willis, as far as I can see the collateral circulation it provides is as good as I had before (based on decades of previous aerobic exercise that was asymptomatic), despite the fact of the total occlusion of the right carotid artery.

So even if your blockage progresses beyond 70%, it is still not clear that surgery is the best choice. That is not a choice in my case, because it is total, but the body can provide other pathways.

John Belcher

@heaviside

Thank you for posting your experience. It confirms what I had read on line that I had wondered about if it was correct which was exactly what you experienced - the development of collateral circulation even if one has completed blockage of one of their carotid arteries. It's encouraging to know that even with complete blockage of one of the carotid arteries it doesn't necessarily mean you will have stroke, although I don't know how rare it is for someone to have a complete blockage of one of the arteries and remain asymptomatic.

Thank you for the responses. I know of a lady who was completely blocked on both sides, no symptoms other than her nail beds were blue, she was only 70 at that time and had no surgery or follow up testing, just blood thinners and statins, lived to be 82 passed from cancer. I hope my body finds pathways . I did reread my U. S. report and at the
end it tells you that the report could be mis leading due to shadows, good blood flow in the other artery and 2 other things I do not understand. my Dr did not totally agree with the % feels it is lower.I actually do not know the symptoms but having no problems.cc