Balloon Occlusion of the Internal Carotid Artery: A Successful Trial Prior to Arterial Ligation/Excision for an Infected Carotid Patch

Treatment options for an infected carotid patch can be challenging, ranging from revision operations to internal carotid artery ligation, which can be associated with a high stroke rate. We report the successful use of balloon test occlusion of the internal carotid artery in a 62-year-old male who presented with an infected Dacron patch following left carotid endarterectomy. He subsequently had an uneventful ligation/excision of the left carotid arteries and removal of the infected patch.

Keywords: Infected carotid patch, Balloon occlusion, Internal carotid artery ligation/excision, Stroke