Larry Lykins had surgery on his carotid artery at Ascension St. Vincent after a trivascular screening detected a major blockage.
After talking to a friend who recently received a trivascular screening that detected heart and vascular problems, Larry Lykins said he was encouraged to schedule a screening for himself.
Larry said he’s thankful he did. His trivascular screening detected a blockage greater than 90 percent in his left carotid artery. The left carotid artery is one of the two blood vessels in the neck that deliver blood to your brain.
“I was surprised when I got the diagnosis because I never had any symptoms,” he said. “But I was so glad they found it.”
He said the trivascular screening was quick and painless, and included a panel of three tests using a noninvasive ultrasound device.
How does a trivascular screening work?
During a trivascular screening, the ultrasound device is moved over the abdomen, neck and legs looking at the rate of circulating blood and possible bulges in the blood vessels. The screening evaluates arterial disease from multiple points of view. And it helps doctors detect clogged, damaged or weakened blood vessels including signs of an aneurysm (dilatation of an artery), carotid artery disease and blockages in the leg arteries (peripheral artery disease). All three can lead to stroke.
Larry had surgery at Ascension St. Vincent to remove the blockage and said he recovered quickly. He said he is thankful the screening detected the issue. “I now tell people all the time that they need to get a trivascular screening done,” he said. “It’s better to know something is wrong than to just assume you’re OK.”
A trivascular screening can help detect heart and valve problems
Clogged, weak or damaged blood vessels can lead to serious health conditions such as stroke, aneurysm or even death. A trivascular screening from Ascension St. Vincent can help detect heart and valve concerns.
Danielle Campbell, MD, a vascular surgeon at Ascension St. Vincent, said it’s common for patients to have significant cerebrovascular issues without symptoms. Don’t delay important heart care and screenings
Certain risk factors make it more likely for a person to experience clogged, weak or damaged blood vessels and include: being a current or past smoker; having diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or obesity; and a family history of vascular disease.
Ask your doctor if a trivascular screening is right for you: ascension.org/stvincentheart