<s>[INST] Treatment for Cerebrovascular Disease [/INST] Specialists from the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery develop individualized treatment plans for patients based on:

Age
Overall health
Medical history
Severity and form of the disease
Tolerance for specific medications or procedures
Expectations for course of the disease
Presence of other conditions
Vascular specialists also recommend medical treatments for carotid artery disease. Along with a modification of lifestyle risk factors, this may include:

Medication

Antiplatelets (to reduce clots)
Antihyperlipidemics (to lower fats in the blood)
Antihypertensives (to lower blood pressure)
Surgery

For more severe carotid artery narrowing, there are two options. Currently, most patients are recommended standard open surgical treatment of the carotid narrowing:

Carotid endarterectomy is performed through a small incision in the neck and involves a "shelling out" of the plaque from the diseased artery. This procedure removes the plaque from the inside of the artery wall and restores normal blood flow through the artery to the brain. The operation is generally well tolerated and involves a one- to two-day hospital stay.
A new, catheter-based treatment for carotid artery narrowing, which may be offered to patients on a selective basis, is:

Balloon stent angioplasty During this procedure, a very thin wire and a small balloon are guided to the blockage in the vessel. A balloon is inflated to compress the plaque and open up a channel through the blockage. A stent is then placed in the artery to keep the vessel open. This procedure does not require an incision in the neck and can be performed through a catheter introduced through the groin artery. This procedure also involves a one-day hospital stay.
After either standard carotid endarterectomy or balloon stent angioplasty, patients are followed with serial duplex ultrasound studies to monitor the progress of their carotid arteries.

Treatment for a cerebral aneurysm that has not ruptured and emergency treatment for a ruptured cerebral aneurysm are provided by neurosurgical specialists. Source: BRIGHAM AND WOMENS. Link: https://www.brighamandwomens.org/heart-and-vascular-center/diseases-and-conditions/heart-valve-disease. Field: Cardiovascular. Disease: Cerebrovascular Disease </s>