Discharge Instructions for Carotid Artery Stenting

When you get home after your carotid artery stenting procedure:

• Watch the injection site for bleeding. A small bruise is normal. So is an occasional drop of blood at the site.
• Watch the limb that was used for the injection for changes in temperature, color, numbness, tingling, or loss of function.
• Take your prescribed antiplatelet medicines as directed. These medicines will help prevent blood clots from forming on the stent. But they may cause you to bruise more easily.
• Wait for your doctor's okay to get your wound wet. Shower instead of taking tub baths for a few days.
• Don't lift anything over 10 pounds for a few days.
• Take it easy. But try to get back to your normal routine as much as possible.
• Ask your doctor about when you can drive, return to work, and do other activities.

Call 911 if you have:

• Chest pain.
• Trouble breathing.

Contact your doctor right away if you have:

• Problems at the incision site, such as swelling, redness, bleeding, warmth, leaking of fluids, or increasing pain.
• A cold feeling, changes in color, pain, numbness, tingling, or loss of function in the limb that was used for the injection site.
• A fever of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher, or as advised by your doctor.
• Symptoms that get worse, or new symptoms.

Go to the emergency room if your doctor's office is closed.

Within a month after the procedure, you'll have a follow-up exam and tests. These tests may include an ultrasound and a brain function exam. Then you'll be monitored with ultrasound or another imaging test every 6 months for 1 to 2 years. After that, you'll be monitored at least every 12 months. You may also keep taking antiplatelet medicine. In some cases, the carotid artery can narrow again. If this happens, it can often be treated again with balloon angioplasty.

Call 911 right away if you have:

• Weakness, tingling, or loss of feeling on one side of your face or body.
• Sudden double vision, or trouble seeing with one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble talking, or slurred speech.
• Trouble understanding others.
• Sudden, severe headache.
• Dizziness, loss of balance, or a sense of falling.
• Blackouts or seizures.

These are all symptoms of stroke.

B.E. F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the signs of stroke. When you see these signs, you'll know that you need to call 911 fast.

The letters in B.E. F.A.S.T. remind you what to look for and when to act.

• B is for balance. Sudden loss of balance or coordination.
• E is for eyes. Vision changes in one or both eyes.
• F is for face drooping. One side of the face is drooping or numb. When the person smiles, the smile is uneven.
• A is for arm weakness. One arm is weak or numb. When the person lifts both arms at the same time, one arm may drift downward.
• S is for speech difficulty. Slurred speech or trouble speaking. The person can't repeat a simple sentence correctly when asked.
• T is for time to call 911. If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptom goes away, call 911 right away. Make note of the time the symptoms first appeared.