Questions posted in the Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Question Title: Brain hemmhorage

Forum: Neurology Forum
Topic: Traumatic Brain Injury


A little more than a year ago I had a carotid endarterectomy and came home from the hospital with a severe headache. Three days later my husband took me back to the hospital and I suffered a stroke. The neurosurgeon who did the surgery to remove the blood and tissue from my brain told my family that there was a large amount of blood. My questions are: 1) Was my brain bleeding for the 3 days that I had the headache? 2) Would a CT scan have shown the bleeding prior to the stroke? 3) If so, could the stroke have been prevented if surgery had been done sooner to prevent the accumulation of blood? I have wondered about these things ever since I became cognitive.
I realize that you can't give me a positive answer, but I would like to know what your opinion is. Could you please answer for me?
Thank You,
Kay Carle
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Dear Kay,

An infrequent complication of carotid endarterectomy is an intracranial
hemorrhage. This seems to be the case. Occasionally after a carotid endarterectomy
the blood flow is too much for the cerebral vessels to withstand and bleeding
occurs, essentially a stroke. The headaches you had after surgery may have
been related to the bleed. CT scans are quite sensitive in recognizing blood
in the head and would have picked up the hemorrhage if present.

Fortunately, you sought medical attention and the appropriate measures were
taken to evacuate the blood in a timely fashion. That you are able to write
and ask questions regarding the event is even better news.

Good luck.
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