Look Who it Was Random video

Preventing Stroke By Clearing a Bottle-Neck

1,568 views · Published 13 March 2015 · 1:37 · Indexed 1 November 2026

Channel: Lee Health · 2015 · Science & Technology

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A clogged artery in her neck was the furthest thing from Joyce Bochetti’s mind. She was walking through her condo’s parking garage when her carotid artery suddenly became blocked. She nearly blacked out.

“I fell into a soft fall. And I was mad at myself that I couldn’t get up.”

“In a matter of minutes it resolved itself, so she was back to normal,” says Dr. Russell Becker. Dr. Becker is a vascular surgeon with Lee Memorial Health System.

Bochetti’s incident was a wakeup call. A close call too. Our carotid arteries greatly impact stroke risk. 

“Because they’re the cause of ischemic stroke or the lack of blood flow to the brain. About 80% of the time a stroke cause is from the carotid vessels.”

If the blockage is severe or creates symptoms as it did with Bochetti, surgeons will clear the clog. 

“I figured they were going to open my neck and do their thing. It wasn’t like that - it went up through me,” Bochetti says.

There is now a new way of clearing the carotid artery. Instead of going through the neck, doctors snake a catheter through the groin.

“We went up through the vessels into her chest as well as into her neck and deployed the stent. The stent holds open the vessel wall,” Dr. Becker says.

So instead of cutting into the neck with a scalpel they used a stent to reopen the artery. It is less invasive than traditional surgery.

“Most people go home the next day. They’re back to usual activities in two to three days,” says Dr. Becker.

By clearing the bottle-neck leading to her brain, Bochetti likely avoided a full-blown stroke.

“I put myself in his hands.  And he was very good,” says Bochetti.


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