100% blocked carotid artery

[worrieddaughter1]

My father is in his early 70's and had a 90% blocked carotid artery and had surgery 4 weeks ago.  We were told that the surgery was successful and his recovery has been uneventful.  He was even cleared to travel 2 weeks after his surgery.  He went in for a check up yesterday and was told that his artery is now blocked 100%.  The doctor told him nothing could be done and he should travel and enjoy life.  What does this mean?  How do you have surgery to clean out your artery and then end up being more blocked a few weeks later?  Is he just waiting for a stroke to happen?  What can he do to avoid having a stroke?  What's the progrosis and the statistics with this?  

[basic817]

Tests have shown that I have 100% blockage of my right carotid artery.  I there any hope that that artery will ever function again?

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

I believe that your father really has a predisposition to develop clots or blocks in the artery, and what happened may really be unavoidable.  Plaques do build up fast especially in sites of previous traumas or previous surgeries, especially if other predisposing factors are not controlled, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar problems.  

The presence of this severe an obstruction really predisposes him to have a stroke, and it is really very hard to predict the time frame.  It is best that he receives maximal cholesterol lowering drugs (there is this study using maximum dose of Lipitor) that may reverse the obstruction.  It is also best if other factors be controlled such as blood pressure or blood sugar problems if he has any.

Regards and God bless.