From 100% carotid blockage to 80 % blockage 2 years post stroke...Mystery and risks?

[zilenna73]

My husband had a stroke 2 years ago at age 57due to a "100%" blockage of his left carotid Due to the stroke he has significant impairment in speech, his right (formerly dominant hand) is not functional and he is now able to walk with a cane.. We have done rehab. but he still can't drive or read well.After initial consultation with a vascular surgeon and in follow up 1 year ago we were told to monitor the right carotid and no surgery was indicated. Recently he developed a problem with his gall bladder and we were told he needed surgery to remove it. The pre-op testing included a doppler of his carotids. Apparently they showed he now has an 80-90% blockage in the L carotid .How did this happen? We now have to get a CT angiogram of the carotid and other heart tests. He is on plavix, no statins. He quit smoking after the stroke. He is upset they won't clear him to take out the gall bladder yet. What are the risks of surgery with his current carotid function (40-45% on the right side) too? Is there an up side to his having some returning blood flow to the left side or do we need to worry more about another stroke?? One other factor, he has had 2 Grand mal seizure sin the last 4 months, a totally new thing for him now controlled with Trileptol....but could this new blood flow have anything to do with the seizures developing? I find this all a bit confusing and scary too. Any thoughts?

[zilenna73]

Thanks for the feedback. We were told no surgical intervention at the time of stroke 2 years ago as the artery was 100% blocked. In the last year some of the blockage has been removed but we don't know how. The down side to this is that apparently once the carotid is open, (though mostly blocked with plaque) there is actually a greater risk to him of a second stroke, especially if he is under stress like going under anesthesia for surgery.. We just want him to be able to have surgery and undergo anesthesia safely. Just can't figure out how that artery got unblocked to begin with....Hope you have had a good recovery from your stroke. It has been a major life altering event for my husband and the rest of us who care for and about him!

[oc1dean]

Your doctors are missing giving you info on the circle of willis which supplies blood to the brain. It is fed by the two carotid arteries and two vertebral arteries. Ask them how many arteries are needed to supply the brain. Regarding the 80% blockage, from my dad when his hit 85% they did  the enderectomy surgery. My stroke was caused by my carotid artery at 80% which the plaque tore, clotted and the clot traveled to the brain.
Dean