Caldwell Memorial Hospital Announces Carotid Artery
Stenting Approval

CMH Becomes One of Few North Carolina Hospitals Approved for the Procedure

Caldwell Memorial Hospital (CMH) recently announced that it has received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) for reimbursement for carotid arterial stenting. According to the CMS website, only 21 hospitals in North Carolina, including CMH, are approved for reimbursement as carotid artery stenting facilities.

Carotid artery stenting is an important treatment option for carotid artery disease, one of the main causes of stroke. During carotid artery stenting, an endovascular surgeon uses a stent—a very small tube of latticed metal—to open partially blocked carotid arteries. The procedure is minimally invasive. It can be done from within the blood vessels using a guide catheter and local anesthesia. Previously, surgery for this disease required general anesthesia and an incision in the patient’s neck.

“Carotid artery stenting is possible because of a number of surgical advancements including catheterization and X-ray visualization,” says Dr. Peter Purcell, the endovascular surgeon at The Caldwell Vascular Center. “Because we are able to open the partially blocked arteries from within the blood vessels themselves, the typical hospital stay has been reduced to 24 hours and many patients can resume regular activities within 72 hours.”

Prior to the CMS approval of Caldwell Memorial Hospital as a Carotid Artery Stenting Facility, area patients were referred to distant places for the procedure. Now, patients and their physicians have an approved local option for care.