Media Advisory: UB surgeon and patient available to discuss new surgical treatment of carotid artery disease

BUFFALO, N.Y. – On April 28, the University at Buffalo, as part of the Roadster Clinical trial, performed a procedure for the first time on the east coast known as the Silk Road system — a less-invasive surgical treatment of carotid artery disease for high-risk patients.

Adnan Siddiqui, MD, associate professor of neurosurgery in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and a patient who was treated are available today by phone to speak with media about the importance of this procedure.

Media arrangements and inquiries: Ellen Goldbaum, in the Office of University Communications at 716-645-4605.

The most common treatment for severe carotid artery disease—when the artery gets blocked with a buildup of plaque—has been a surgery called carotid endartarectomy (CEA), which involves making an incision about 4 ½ inches long in the neck to access the affected artery, open it and remove the plaque.

However, for patients who are considered at high risk for surgical treatment because of age or existing medical conditions, CEA may not be feasible. A potential complication of CEA surgery is stroke.

The Roadster Clinical Trial was originally begun in California and is underway in the U.S to continue to evaluate the safety of the Silk Road system. UB’s participation in the study began in April with four patients who were diagnosed with severe carotid disease. They were considered too high risk for CEA but qualified as candidates for the Silk Road system procedure.

The Silk Road system procedure is performed through a much smaller incision at the neckline just above the collarbone. The procedure is much safer because it temporarily directs blood, through a system of tubing, away from the brain to protect against plaque that may come loose and cause a possible stroke. Blood flows through the system and any material is captured in a filter. Filtered blood is then returned through a second tube in the upper thigh.

The study is funded by Silk Road Medical, developers of the Transcarotid Stenting with Dynamic Flow Reversal system.