[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/01\/carotid-endarterectomy-raymonds-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/01\/carotid-endarterectomy-raymonds-story\/","headline":"Carotid Endarterectomy: Raymond\u2019s Story","name":"Carotid Endarterectomy: Raymond\u2019s Story","description":"At UPMC Passavant, an ultrasound revealed Raymond had a complete blockage of the carotid artery on one side of his neck and a partial blockage on the other.","datePublished":"2019-01-10","dateModified":"2023-04-17","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/UPMC-Choose_Raymond-92-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/UPMC-Choose_Raymond-92-1.jpg","height":327,"width":751},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/01\/carotid-endarterectomy-raymonds-story\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Heart and Vascular Health","UPMC Stories"],"wordCount":506,"keywords":["UPMC Passavant"],"articleBody":"Raymond Ladner has endured occasional migraines and neck pain most of his life. A 50-foot fall from a ladder during a stint in the Navy left him hospitalized with a badly injured neck and painful bone spurs that developed decades later. But last summer, things got worrisome.His headaches returned and wouldn\u2019t go away. Then, he got off the elevator in his West View apartment building and walked straight into a wall. A short while later, he sat down to watch TV and realized his vision was blurred; he reached for the remote and fell to the floor.\u201cI didn\u2019t know what was going on, but I knew something wasn\u2019t right,\u201d says Raymond, 70.An initial emergency department visit didn\u2019t detect anything, so he returned home. But symptoms persisted, convincing him to call off a cross-country road trip to visit an ailing brother in Colorado. His wife, Janet, called for an ambulance after he walked into the wall again, but he refused transport when paramedics said his vitals were normal.A week later, he finally agreed to go to the hospital. \u201cI\u2019ve lived with the man for 30 years. I knew something was wrong,\u201d says Janet. \u201cThat headache just wasn\u2019t going away, and he just wasn\u2019t himself.\u201dAt UPMC Passavant, an ultrasound revealed Raymond had a complete blockage of the carotid artery on one side of his neck and a partial blockage on the other. Often difficult to diagnose, it\u2019s a condition that occurs when plaque buildup causes a narrowing in the carotid arteries \u2014\u00a0the main blood vessels in the neck supplying needed blood to the brain, neck, and face. In Raymond\u2019s case, the blockages likely caused mini-strokes responsible for many of his symptoms, including numbness in his right arm.\u201cThe doctors couldn\u2019t believe I was alive,\u201d Raymond says. \u201cIf I\u2019d gone on that trip, I probably wouldn\u2019t have made it halfway to Colorado before that artery blew.\u201dOn Sept. 12, Raymond underwent a carotid endarterectomy performed by Georges E. Al-Khoury, MD, chief of vascular surgery at UPMC Passavant. During the procedure, the surgeon removed the plaque blocking the arteries to restore blood flow.When he saw Dr. Al-Khoury again, Raymond shook his hand and thanked him.\u201cIt blows my mind,\u201d he says. \u201cHe didn\u2019t know me from Adam, but he saved my life. And then, he goes on to the next patient like it\u2019s no big deal. Dr. Al-Khoury is amazing.\u201d Dr. Al-Khoury sees patients in McCandless, New Castle, Sewickley, and Altoona.Raymond, who returned home the day after surgery, is slowly regaining strength. His symptoms are expected to improve steadily over the next few months. He is now taking medication to reduce his cholesterol and lower his blood pressure.\u201cI have a wonderful wife, two daughters, and four beautiful grandchildren. I\u2019m taking things day by day,\u201d says Raymond. \u201cI feel it\u2019s a miracle. I\u2019m happy to be alive and I owe it all to Dr. Al-Khoury. He\u2019s my hero.\u201d"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2019","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Carotid Endarterectomy: Raymond\u2019s Story","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/01\/carotid-endarterectomy-raymonds-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]