Carotid endarterectomy procedures with regional - local anesthesia.

Since my arrival in Greece in 2020, my team and I have been performing carotid endarterectomy procedures with regional-local anesthesia with great success.

The procedures are performed with the patient fully conscious throughout the procedure, without the need for intraoperative neurological monitoring (neuromonitoring).

The now established method of regional anesthesia in this procedure allows the surgical team to closely monitor the patient's neurological function throughout the procedure and to rapidly identify intraoperative neurological consequences, intervening immediately (by placing a temporary circulatory bypass - shunt) and protecting the patient from an ischemic stroke.

In addition, it allows patients to mobilize immediately and be discharged after 24 – 48 hours, returning to their daily activities.

A great advantage of this method is also the fact that patients with serious concomitant diseases are not burdened with general anesthesia.

Nektarios Galanis, MD, PhD