Stroke-prevention surgery: share your story

The CHCF Center for Health Reporting is continuing to report on the fact that where you live can result in big differences in the kind of health care you receive.

Have you, a family member or someone you know had a surgery to prevent stroke, a procedure called carotid endarterectomy? What was your experience – did you have any negative side effects or complications?

This surgery removes plaque build up in the carotid artery to prevent stroke. It turns out – as is the case with elective heart procedures – the rate of use of carotid endarterectomies varies greatly around California. If this procedure is being overused it can have serious consequences for patients – the surgery can cause complications such as stroke, heart attack or death.

Our reporting on carotid endarterectomies will expand on the work senior writer Emily Bazar has already done in a series of stories that ran in the San Francisco Chronicle about high rates of elective heart procedures in Clearlake. 

The Center also partnered with the Bakersfield Californian and Fresno Bee, which reported on high rates of heart procedures in the Central Valley.  

Please contact broadcast reporter Kelley Weiss at kelley.weiss@usc.edu or (916) 637-8968 to share your story.