I have probably answered dozens of questions like this on stroke forums. The medical staff is doing a lousy job explaining this.
Your doctor is quite remiss in not telling you about the physiology of the brain. There is a Circle_of_Willis that supplies blood to the brain. That is fed by four arteries, two carotid and two vertebral. Just because one or more arteries are blocked does not directly cause a stroke. The usual case is that the narrowed artery tears, clots and the clot lets go, traveling to the brain. You normally do not clean out a totally plugged artery because of the high risk of sending debris to the brain. I had a totally blocked right carotid artery for four years now and I don't worry about getting a stroke from that. Ask your doctor about this to see if s/he understands basic brain matters. I have heard of survivors who developed feeder arteries around the blockages.
But then I am a stroke-addled survivor, so don't listen to what I have to say, your doctor is infallible, listen to them.
My PCP told me exactly this - that there are lots of ancillary paths for blood to get to the brain - twice he has drawn a diagram of the Circle of Willis for me - and he said that the clot in my carotid artery responsible for my current ordeal is now a stable part of the system, firmly attached and not about to throw off another piece.
ReplyDeleteYou are no more stroke-addled than I am - and my executive functions are working quite well now, unless I'm too addled to know otherwise.:)