
Carotid Artery Surgery by the Best Vascular Specialists Serving Milford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford and All Of Southern Connecticut To Help Prevent Stroke

Carotid Artery Surgery for Stroke Prevention in New Haven County, performed by our expert vascular surgeon Dr. Esposito and interventional radiologist Dr. Davis can help unblock your carotid arteries and help prevent you from having a stroke.
Using the most advanced minimally-invasive endovascular surgery methods available anywhere, at Milford Vascular Institute our vascular specialists can unblock your carotid arteries to restore healthy blood circulation to your brain and lower your chances of having a stroke.
As a service to our community, here at Milford Vascular Institute, we offer free carotid artery ultrasounds all year round. A carotid artery ultrasound can help us determine if you have any blockage within your carotid arteries that put you at a higher risk of having a stroke.
WHAT IS CAROTID ARTERY DISEASE?

Carotid arteries are the major arteries in the neck that supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain. When the carotid arteries become clogged or constricted by a buildup of plaque (a sticky substance made up of cholesterol, calcium and fibrous tissue), this is a serious medical condition known as carotid artery disease.
Clogged or constricted carotid arteries are very dangerous because they limit blood flow to the brain. Limited blood flow to the brain reduces brain function and also increases the risk of having a stroke, which can cause severe disability due to permanent brain damage and can even cause death.
Dr. Davis Explains Carotid Artery Disease Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
“If you’ve been diagnosed with carotid artery disease or are worried about carotid artery disease or have had some symptoms that might suggest carotid artery disease, what might that be?
Something where you get a little dizzy or you have almost a nearly fainting episode, or your doctor has put a stethoscope on your neck and said you might have a little noise, what we call a bruit.
We can diagnose that and potentially treat that here at Milford Vascular.”
~ Dr. Paul Davis
Board Certified Interventional Radiologist
STROKE PREVENTION EXPERT DR. DAVIS
DISCUSSES CAROTID ARTERY DISEASE & TREATMENTS
“A lot of us have a little bit of narrowing in our arteries and not to be worried about it.
Most of the time, it’s just lifestyle changes, maybe a change in medications, maybe an aspirin. But in some people where the narrowing is getting severe or worrisome, we might suggest a further intervention.
Either a carotid stenting or a surgery where we take out the plaque and open up the artery so the brain is getting full blood flow and would decrease any chance of having a severe stroke, which could really obviously devastate someone’s life and or their family’s life.”
~ Dr. Paul Davis
Board Certified Interventional Radiologist
What Causes Blocked Carotid Arteries?

CAROTID ARTERY DISEASE RISK FACTORS
Carotid artery disease (accumulation of plaque inside the neck arteries) can go unnoticed, without symptoms for years, until suddenly, a stroke occurs.
It is important to know that out of the 795,000 yearly strokes that happen in the United States annually, approximately 265,000 of them were related to carotid artery disease.
It is for this reason that it is important to know whether or not you may at risk of developing carotid artery disease due to a family history, lifestyle or age.
So, how do you know if you are at risk of having carotid artery disease?
The following may put you at a higher risk of developing carotid artery disease:
If you are considered high risk for carotid artery disease, it is recommended that you schedule a carotid artery ultrasound as soon as possible.
Here at Milford Vascular Institute, we are happy to provide free carotid artery ultrasound screenings. We encourage our community to take advantage of this opportunity to quickly and easily determine your risk for stroke, so we can address it sooner than later…before a stroke happens.
FREE CAROTID ARTERY TESTING AT MVI

Carotid Artery Disease Symptoms

Unfortunately, someone could have carotid artery disease and show absolutely no symptoms.
One of the warning signs of carotid arterial disease, is the occurrence of something called a “mini-stroke” (or transient ischemic attack – TIA). A TIA is a temporary episode where a person experiences numbness or weakness in the arm, leg or face on one side of the body, loss of vision in one or both eyes, difficulty understanding what someone else is saying, slurred speech, difficulty talking, a loss of coordination, ringing in the ears, dizziness or confusion and/or trouble swallowing. This episode can last just a few minutes, or can continue for up to 24 hours.
If you have ever experienced any of the symptoms related to TIA, it is highly recommended that you get a carotid artery ultrasound as soon as possible to see if you have any blockage in your carotid artery. Carotid artery blockage will only worsen with time, leading to a stroke, which can be fatal or that could leave you disabled for life.
Carotid Artery Blockage Treatments
LIFESTYLE ADJUSTMENTS FOR CAROTID ARTERY DISEASE
Depending on the extent of the blockage discovered in the carotid artery, your doctor might simply recommend lifestyle adjustments, medication, minimally-invasive procedures or, as a last resort, surgery.
If a little narrowing is discovered, but does not pose an immediate risk our vascular surgeons may recommend that the patient stick to a healthy diet, follow a formal exercise plan, and stop smoking, if they smoke. Depending on the individual and their overall health, medication may be prescribed to keep the disease under control and prevent it from progressing.
If a patient has diabetes or high blood pressure and has also been diagnosed with carotid artery disease, diabetes and high blood pressure must be brought under control, since they are contributing factors to the disease and may cause it to progress more quickly.

CAROTID STENTING TO OPEN THE NARROWED CAROTID ARTERIES
Carotid stenting is a minimally invasive treatment commonly used to open up the carotid arteries that have become narrowed due to plaque build-up.
Through a tiny incision, a stent is deployed inside the carotid artery to widen the artery and allow full blood flow to supply the brain.
A stent is a wire mesh tube that is placed inside the carotid artery at the location of blockage.
Once it is securely in place, the stent will act as reinforcement within the diseased artery to help prevent the artery from becoming constricted again.
PHYSICAL REMOVAL OF THE PLAQUE BUILDUP INSIDE THE CAROTID ARTERIES
If the carotid arteries are found to be excessively blocked by plaque buildup, our vascular surgeons may determine that physical removal of the plaque is necessary.
An atherectomy device is used to scrape away plaque buildup inside the carotid artery that is causing blockage.
The atherectomy device aspirates the plaque particles out of the artery while it is scraping the plaque.
With the plaque physically removed from the walls of the artery, the artery can be fully opened once again, restoring healthy blood flow through the artery.
With healthy blood flow restored to the brain, the risk of stroke is drastically reduced.
Why Choose

When you choose Milford Vascular Institute for treatment of carotid arterial disease, you can rest assured that you are getting the very best possible vascular care available in all of New Haven County. Our vascular surgeons are highly skilled in providing the most advanced, minimally-invasive vascular treatments available anywhere.
At MVI, board certified vascular surgeon Dr. David Esposito and Dr. Paul Davis, who is board certified in diagnostic radiology, and vascular and interventional radiology, will perform your carotid artery disease treatment.
Dr. Esposito and Dr. Davis are top-rated experts in endovascular treatments. They are always at the forefront of technology in the vascular surgery field to ensure they are providing the best, cutting-edge vascular treatments to their community.

With over 50 years of combined experience in diagnosing, preventing and treating vascular diseases, our outstanding vascular specialists have dedicated their lives to caring for you.
With over 20 years in practice, at Milford Vascular Institute, our staff is committed to excellent patient care. We always treat our patients with respect and compassion because WE CARE.

Our MVI Team ~ Always Treating You Like Family
If you’ve been diagnosed with carotid artery disease, or if you are concerned that you may be at risk of having a stroke due to plaque buildup in the carotid arteries, it is important to have an evaluation with a vascular specialist as soon as possible. If left untreated, carotid artery disease can increase your risk of suffering from a devastating and potentially fatal stroke.
During your in-office vascular screening, our vascular sonographers will perform a carotid artery ultrasound to determine if you have blockage in your carotid arteries and to what extent they are blocked.
Once we have completed your evaluation, we will discuss the best treatment options for you.
To schedule a consultation with one of our top-rated vascular specialists here at Milford Vascular Institute, give us a call today at (203) 418-7386. It will be our pleasure to care for you.