Endarterectomy for atherosclerosis & peripheral artery disease

Prior to surgery, your doctor may order lab tests and various imaging tests to evaluate the extent of your blockage.

You’ll also see your physician or surgeon for personalized guidelines to prepare for surgery including:

• Refraining from eating or drinking anything after midnight the night before your procedure
• How to get ready for your procedure including any medications you may need to stop taking
• Answering your questions and concerns

The surgical removal of plaque from arteries takes about two to three hours. You’ll receive either a local or general anesthesia, so you won’t feel any pain.

Your vascular surgeon will make an incision in your artery, then remove the inner lining of the artery around the blockage. A clamp may be placed on your artery to temporarily stop blood flow, or the surgeon may insert a shunt to temporarily reroute the blood around the obstruction.

Once the plaque is removed, your surgeon will remove the clamp or shunt and use stitches to close your incisions. Sometimes, your surgeon may insert a thin, flexible tube to help drain excess fluid from your incision.

We’ll monitor you in a recovery room for at least an hour until your blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, breathing and surgical site stabilize. Afterward, we’ll transfer you to a unit in the hospital where we specialize in the care of patients who’ve had an endarterectomy. You can expect to stay in the hospital for a full day.

Before going home, your surgeon will go over instructions for care, including when you can resume normal activities. You’ll also receive a prescription for pain medication to take as needed and may receive a prescription for medication to prevent blood clots from forming.