A managing director of investments at Wedbush Securities, Inc., Allison Clago leverages more than 30 years of experience in guiding families and businesses toward financial freedom. In addition, Allison Clago serves on the board of governors for the Providence Tarzana Medical Center Foundation.
In April 2018, Providence Tarzana Medical Center, a leading source of quality care in San Fernando Valley, announced that it is the first medical facility in the area to offer the innovative TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) procedure to patients. This procedure treats carotid artery disease using minimally invasive technology. In doing so, it reduces patients’ risk of stroke resulting from carotid artery disease.
According to the hospital, roughly 15 million people throughout the world have a stroke each year. Of these, five million patients are disabled because of their stroke and six million of these strokes are fatal. It’s estimated that one-third of all stroke cases are related to carotid artery disease, a condition that is diagnosed in about 400,000 new patients in the US each year.
In the past, treating carotid artery disease required patients to undergo a carotid endarterectomy, an open surgical procedure that leaves a long scar on the neck. Beyond affecting the patient's appearance, the procedure was also associated with such risks as nerve injuries, bleeding, infection, and heart attack.
Many of these risks do not exist or are substantially reduced with the TCAR procedure because of its minimally-invasive nature. Surgeons using TCAR are capable of diverting clots caused by carotid artery disease by reversing blood flow through the trans-carotid artery. This allows surgeons to stabilize artery blockages using a stent inserted in this large blood vessel.
