My dad had a stroke 4 years ago-he has 100% blockage in one artery and 79% in another. Should he have surgery?

The blockage is in his neck. His doctor says they will test him again in 6 months to see if the blockage has increased. I know surgery is risky but without it he could have another stroke that would kill him. Has anyone else been through this. My dad is 65 yrs old and parylized on his right side.

She is talking about the neck arteries not the heart (to the above comment who suggested heart surgery)

Your dad has what is called Carotid Artery Disease, I'm assuming. This is where there is a blockage in one or more of his Carotid Arteries (in the neck). This type of disease can be very dangerous and can cause a stroke (as you know already).

If the surgery can be done safely without expected complications, then he should have this surgery.

They would need to evaluate his heart function and check for coronary artery disease to see if he is a good candidate for this surgery. He probably will not be under anesthesia for this surgery and will instead be under local anesthesia with some sedation to maintain brain function due to the carotid arteries supplying blood to the brain because anesthesia reduces brain function while he is asleep.

If he does have coronary artery disease, they would need to do other testing such as a stress test, echocardiogram, and EKG to evaluate his heart function further.

Other contraindications would be diabetes, kidney failure, and other things the physician decides would be a contraindication.

As far as saving his life, surgery is the best option. Make sure they evaluate his heart function BEFORE this surgery as the results of those tests can greatly estimate if he will survive this surgery.

Risks of all surgeries are infection, bleeding, and anesthesia.

Also, ballon dilation or stenting of his carotid arteries might be another option for him and it contains much less risk. Ask the vascular surgeon about this option.

Best of luck to you and your father!

Well i am no doctor but it seems like they would operate to unblock it ot put a threader to unblock it with.With all the great meds they have these days maybe they'll have him taking meds for a while to prolong surgery...I am sure his dr is on top of this for him' and you..Lots of luck to your dad and bless you for being there for him..

I would consult his physician and ask him. He may not be healthy enough for surgery.
They have ways though they can do heart surgery now, which will cut his risks way down.