Quick recovery from minimally invasive procedure enables veteran to continue serving

Dr. Geoffrey Risley celebrates 100th stroke-prevention procedure

For retired Air Force veteran Donald Gordy, the idea of slowing down isn't an option. His commitment to service didn't end with his military career; it simply shifted focus to his vital volunteer work with the Disabled American Veterans, helping veterans with paperwork and accessing care they've earned.

So, when he received a diagnosis that put him at risk for a potentially devastating stroke, his greatest concern was getting back to his post.

Gordy, who has a family history of heart conditions and strokes, initially sought emergency care after experiencing neck pain. That visit led to a scan that uncovered his carotid artery was 85% blocked. He also learned that "floaters," black spots in his vision he had dismissed, were a sign of the underlying issue.

"I learned that if the floaters break free, they could cause a stroke," he said. "That was a very big concern for both me and my wife."

A less-invasive solution

After open heart surgery years earlier, Gordy was reluctant to face another procedure. Dr. Geoffrey Risley, a vascular surgeon, recommended a minimally invasive, FDA-approved surgical procedure used to treat carotid artery disease (blockages in the neck arteries) and prevent strokes.

The procedure addresses one of the primary concerns with stenting by incorporating a unique safety feature: flow reversal. Unlike traditional open surgery that requires a larger incision, it is performed through a small incision just above the clavicle.
"We are aspirating blood from the brain while we are placing the stent," Dr. Risley explained. "So, we're reversing the flow, filtering it through a filter and then giving it back to you through a vein in your groin."

Gordy's recovery was quick. He spent one night in the hospital for observation and returned to his normal routine within a week. "It probably took me maybe a week before everything was good enough. I was back out doing everything," he said.

Back to duty

The quick recovery meant more than a return to his personal life; it was a return to duty. Today, his neck pain and floaters have disappeared. The successful procedure has given him a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper commitment to veterans at the Disabled American Veterans. Avoiding a devastating stroke means he can now fully dedicate himself to helping others.

"I'm pretty sure if it would have been completely blocked, I would have had a stroke," he said. He now encourages others to talk to a vascular surgeon: "The procedure is so simple and it's amazing what they can do."

A milestone in stroke prevention
Recently reaching his 100th procedure marks a significant evolution in stroke prevention for Dr. Risley, a defining part of his career in vascular surgery.

"The biggest things that have happened in vascular surgery in my career are minimally invasive vascular procedures," Dr. Risley said.

This is the natural progression of these techniques for carotid disease, offering a safer, less-invasive alternative to traditional carotid endarterectomy (open surgery) and transfemoral stenting (a procedure performed through the groin).

This provides protection by preventing any plaque debris from traveling to the brain during the procedure. The benefits of focus on the person, promoting a quicker and less stressful recovery:

• Quicker recovery: Patients are often back to normal daily activities within two weeks, allowing active individuals like Mr. Gordy to quickly resume their commitments.
• Less time in procedure: The arteries are clamped for around six minutes, compared to 45 minutes to an hour for traditional open surgery. The operating time is about 30 minutes, requiring less time under anesthesia.

Dr. Risley's goal is to provide healing and possibility: "It's a preventable cause of stroke which is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. For years, we have been doing revascularization to prevent strokes in the future, this technology upgrades safety and recovery for patients."