TRANSCAROTID ARTERY REVASCULARIZATION (TCAR)
TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) is a minimally invasive approach for high surgical risk patients who need carotid artery treatment and are at risk of stroke with an open surgery. While any repair of the carotid artery carries some risk of causing a stroke because of the repair itself, TCAR was designed to help minimize that risk by keeping potential stroke causing fragments away from the brain.
During the TCAR procedure, a tube inserted into the carotid artery is connected to a system that temporarily directs blood flow away from the brain to protect against dangerous debris from reaching the brain during the procedure. The surgeon then filters the blood before returning it to a vein in the groin, and a stent is implanted directly into the carotid artery to stabilize the plaque and prevent future strokes. The entire procedure is performed in less than half the time of CEA – limiting the stress on the heart and significantly cutting the risk of the patient having a stroke or heart attack during the procedure.
Patients who undergo the TCAR procedure recover quickly (typically spending just one night in the hospital) and almost always go home the next day to return to full and productive lives with less pain, smaller scars and a reduced risk of future strokes.

TCAR KNOXVILLE HOSPITALS
FORT SANDERS REGIONAL
1901 Clinch Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37916
PREMIER VASCULAR SURGEONS
C. Scott Callicutt, MD, FACS, RPVI
Vascular Surgery
Fellowship:Vascular Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis
J. Randolph Reisser, MD, FACS
General & Vascular Surgery
Fellowship: Peripheral Vascular Surgery
Videos
Premier Vascular Surgeon Dr. Afshin Skibba explains TransCarotid Artery Revascularization(TCAR) to Knoxville Medicine’s Doc Talk, host Dr. Rob Page. TCAR not only can lower the risk of stroke but this option can also reduce the risk of heart attack and has minimal blood loss.
Your physician may recommend the TCAR procedure if you’ve been diagnosed with carotid artery disease and are not a suitable candidate for CEA. This may depend on your age or other existing medical conditions.
Additional information about TCAR is available at http://silkroadmed.com/disease-and-treatment-options/.