If you have severe carotid artery disease you are at a higher risk of having a stroke.

Doris Bowker wasn't having any symptoms of carotid artery disease, but after seeing her doctor for a check up, she found out she had a problem. "They found out that I had 2 blockages and apparently where they were located it really wasn't an easier procedure to do it from the neck so they decided to do a brand new procedure."

Vascular Surgeon Abraham Sadighi explains that brand new procedure is called Carotid Stenting. "Carotid stenting is, stenting is the same procedure the cardiologist do in the heart and us vascular surgeons do in the peripheral vessels."

Dr. Sadighi says that clearing blockages in the carotid artery is important because over time, the build-up narrows the artery. "When the carotid artery is narrowed, by narrowing meaning anything over 60% whether they have symptoms or not, that does increase symptoms of stroke."

Carotid artery stenting is a procedure where your physician will take a stent like this one, insert it into your groin and feed it all the way up to your carotid artery. There it opens up the artery and increases blood flow. Doris says that "You're in the hospital overnight, you, I came home the next afternoon and I felt perfectly fine, I was ready to go back and do what I do."

Stenting patient Joseph Moree underwent the procedure about a month ago and he's happy to say he's feeling the effects. "It's doing real well, I'm feeling 100% better. He's done a great job. There's no pain."

Using a stent is considered a significantly less invasive procedure than the surgically removing the plaque.

At the present time this stenting procedure is an alternative to surgery and certain criteria needs to be met for you to qualify for this technique. Talk to your doctor for more information.