By Martin Scurr
Published: 19:17 EST, 28 July 2014 | Updated: 19:17 EST, 28 July 2014
The usual term for what Derek have experienced is a transient ischaemic attack - sometimes referred to as a 'mini stroke'
After a transient ischaemic stroke I have had an ultrasound, which has shown that the main artery in my neck is 90 per cent blocked. The options are a stent or open surgery. I would like your opinion on which is the best and safest to go for.
Derek Thomson, Newcastle.
The usual term for what you have experienced is a transient ischaemic attack - sometimes referred to as a 'mini stroke'. These are common - nearly every week, I'll see a patient, typically someone in their 50s or 60s, who's had one.
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) occurs when the blood flow through part of the brain is disrupted briefly. The lack of oxygen to the brain causes symptoms similar to those of a stroke, such as speech or visual disturbance, or numbness or weakness in the arms or legs.
The key difference is that the symptoms of a TIA don't last long, typically only minutes, and are certainly completely gone within 24 hours, because there is no permanent damage to the brain. The most common cause is a small blood clot that has travelled up one of the two carotid arteries supplying blood from the heart to the brain, causing a brief blockage.
These clots typically form on fatty build-ups (plaque) in blood vessels.
Fragments of the clot then break away and temporarily block the blood vessels.
See more here:
ASK THE DOCTOR: A blocked artery in my neck caused a mini stroke