Do you know how to treat venous plaque?

Blood vessels are composed of two major parts: arteries and veins. Arteries are equivalent to fresh blood, carrying various nutrients to all parts of the body, while veins are channels that carry various wastes to various filtering organs. Among the two types of blood vessels, veins have the highest risk of disease because the blood in the veins is prone to congestion and the blood quality is obviously not as good as that of the arteries. For example, venous plaque is a typical derivative, which has a great impact on the patency of veins. If it is not treated for a long time, it will cause great damage to the body. Let’s take a look at how to treat venous plaque.

Treatment of carotid atherosclerotic disease includes lifestyle changes, medications, and surgery.

1. Lifestyle changes

Including quitting smoking, increasing exercise, controlling weight, and eating a low-salt and low-fat diet.

2. Medication

(1) Control blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids;

(2) Antiplatelet therapy: The preventive use of antiplatelet drugs can significantly reduce the incidence of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Aspirin or clopidogrel can be taken orally daily.

(3) Intensive lipid-lowering therapy: Many clinical studies have confirmed that statins can stabilize plaques and significantly reduce the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Statins can be used to control blood lipids as appropriate based on the patient's LDL-C level and whether other risk factors for ischemic stroke are present. During the medication process, changes in liver enzymes and muscle enzymes need to be monitored regularly.

3. Surgery

The goal of surgical treatment is to prevent the occurrence of ischemic stroke. Clinically, doctors will decide whether to perform surgery and what surgical method to use based on the degree of vascular stenosis caused by carotid artery plaques, the stability of the plaques, and the patient's symptoms and basic condition.

(1) Carotid endarterectomy (CEA): This surgery removes the thickened carotid intima and sclerotic plaques. It is usually performed under general anesthesia and requires that the patient does not have severe heart, lung or other systemic diseases.

(2) Carotid artery stenting (CAS): This is a minimally invasive surgery that involves placing a stent at the site of the lesion to prop open the narrowed blood vessel wall and restore blood flow to the lesion. It can be performed under local anesthesia and is suitable for patients with severe underlying diseases who cannot tolerate general anesthesia. Dual antiplatelet therapy with oral aspirin and clopidogrel is required 3 to 5 days before surgery. It is currently believed that the long-term patency rate of CAS is the same as that of CEA.