General Chat

Hi,
My friend is due to have carotid arteries surgery soon, to avoid a stroke.
Just wondering if it is a major operation?
Has anyone had this surgery, or know anyone who has had it?
How long were you in hospital for and how long did it take to recover?

Jan

Hi Mac,
Thanks for your reply. Maybe I should have added that my friend lives in USA - we might know it under a different name here in the UK.
I know nothing about it other than it is surgery to clean the artery out.

Jan

Thanks Mac -my friend is having it done in her neck. Apparently that is where the carotid artery is.

Jan

Hi Mac,
I'll go and google it now - was hoping that someone with personal experience of it would be able to tell me how it affected them.

Thanks

I have had a one, about two years ago. Normally three or four days, no problems.
Brian(i)

Hi Brian (i)
Thanks for letting me know how long it took to recover with you.

Hi, Jan. I can't remember, I live alone, my shaving a problem which doesn't apply to you. I had staples which were not very nice. My 'scar' is five & half inch long which does not show. My balance was improved. I have had a stroke, my grammar and spelling could be atrocious, I find that it is annoying that I can’t express myself. My operation was to stop me having an other one.
Brian(i)

My friends Mum went on holiday to Denmark and ended up in hospital having to have this surgery there and then.It worked well.

I was due a triple by-pass eight years ago. They sent me for tests prior to the operation and they then said my carotid arteries were blocked and the operation would be too dangerous.

They then decided, two weeks later, to do both operations at the same time (one side carotid only as it was the worse side.).

Had the operations and of course felt absolutely nothing. In hospital for a couple of weeks. - fairly unpleasant as you would expect. Took over 6 months to properly recover. No problems since - just two scars.
Glad it's all over, but it's one of those things you laugh about in time.
They had rooms by the hospital where wives can stay for the material time, if they wish.
Would think carotid arteries alone is a major operation, and would guess a few weeks should see the patient right.

Happy days

Hi Brian (i), Helen and Harry,
i've just gone back to the thread now to see if there are any more replies, and found yours.
Thanks very much for your replies. They are all reassuring that my friend should be ok. Her balance is unsteady at the moment, and hopefully that will be put right after the surgery. Also she is at the risk of having a stroke, thats why she is having this done.


Jan

My mother in law had it done about 1990... she was in hospital for 5 days... the one thing she complained about was numbness around the scar tissue, but I got her some of that lotion that mums-to-be rub into tummy to prevent stretch marks, and that worked a treat.. I think it might have been the massaging rather than the cream that helped, but whatever, the cream did no harm!!

She was fine for a while... she needed to follow a much stricter diet to stop her arteries furring up again, and she did this for a short while, but her sweet tooth and love of cream cakes got the better of her.

She has had a couple of little strokes in the last couple of years....but she is 80, now, and her op stood her in good stead for a good long while, in spite of her dietary excesses, lol!!

Good luck to your friend,

Love

Daff xxxx

My neighbour had one side done about 3 years ago. I think he was only in hospital about 3 days. He has a very thin white scar which is hardly noticable. I think they try to hide the scar in a natural skin crease.

Best wishes to your friend.

Hi Daff and Ann
Thanks for your replies. Its good to know about other peoples experiences with it, and they came out oaky with it.

Jan