MANSFIELD – OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital is leading the way in advanced vascular and stroke care by introducing a new surgical procedure, called Transcarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR). TCAR is a less invasive, patient-friendly way of treating carotid artery disease, and Mansfield Hospital is one of just two hospitals in the state to provide this innovative procedure. Mansfield Hospital has also been designated a TCAR Center of Excellence for 2018 and 2019 by Silk Road Medical.
Carotid artery disease is a condition where plaques build up in the blood vessels, which can restrict blood flow, prevent oxygen supply to the brain and cause stroke. In the U.S. alone, over 790,000 people have a stroke each year, and up to 90% of these cases are caused by restricted blood flow.
Dr. Robert Schwartz, FACS, is a vascular surgeon at Mansfield Hospital who has performed the TCAR procedure over 30 times in the past 18 months. “TCAR has the lowest complication rates and lowest risk of stroke, death and heart attack of any intervention we’ve done up until now. It’s likely going to become the procedure of choice nationally very soon.”
Beginning with a small incision in the neck, a stent is placed in the carotid artery to help filter out plaque. What makes TCAR so unique is that during the procedure, blood flow is temporarily reversed so that any loose plaque particles are filtered away from the brain, preventing risk of stroke.
In the past, the primary methods of treating carotid artery disease included carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy, both of which involve more incisions and manipulation of the arteries. TCAR allows physicians to focus exclusively on the area they’re treating, without added risk of surgical complications like stroke.
Nationally, TCAR has been clinically proven to produce lower rates of acute cranial nerve injury, shorter operative times and shorter hospital stays when compared to carotid endarterectomy, even in cases where patients are older and sicker.
OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital is a five-star recipient of stroke treatment recognition from Healthgrades and is certified by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center for best practices in stroke care.
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