Stroke treatment: Surgery

Sometimes a stroke patient has surgery. There are two types of surgeries.

Craniotomy

During a craniotomy, a neurosurgeon makes an opening in the skull to reach the brain. Depending on the situation, the neurosurgeon may perform one of the following:

Treatment of aneurysm: clipping: The neurosurgeon places a small clip on the blood vessel to seal off the blood flow to the aneurysm.
Treatment of life-threatening brain swelling: The neurosurgeon reduces pressure in the brain caused by bleeding. Surgery is rarely needed on patients who have non-bleeding (ischemic) strokes.

Carotid endarterectomy

Carotid endarterectomy is a surgery for people who have narrowed carotid arteries. The surgeon cleans plaque (a fatty substance) out of the carotid artery. This can help prevent a stroke.

This surgery cannot be done on a totally blocked carotid artery.