Beaumont Earns Accreditation For Carotid Artery Stenting

Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak was recently recognized by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Carotid Stenting Facilities. It is one of only four sites nationwide to meet ICACSF accreditation standards for stenting.

The carotid arteries are two large vessels in the neck that supply blood to the brain. Decreased blood flow increases the likelihood of a stroke – the third leading cause of death in the United States.

“ICACSF accreditation is a ‘seal of approval’ that patients can rely upon as an indication that our facility has been carefully critiqued on all aspects of its operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of carotid stenting,” says Phillip Bendick, Ph.D., technical director, Peripheral Vascular Diagnostic Center, Beaumont, Royal Oak.

Carotid stenting is a therapeutic, catheter-based procedure. It may be used as an alternative to carotid artery surgery, called a carotid endarterectomy. The stent is placed at the site of the vessel blockage caused by atherosclerotic disease to provide support to keep the artery open and maintain blood flow to the brain.

Carotid artery stenting involves the insertion of a very small hollow tube, or catheter, into a blood vessel in the groin. The tube is threaded to the narrowed carotid artery. Once the catheter is in place, a balloon may be inflated to open the artery and a stent is placed. The metal stent is a wire-mesh cylinder that keeps the artery from re-narrowing after it has been opened.

Stenting has many advantages:
• minimally invasive procedure
• local anesthesia
• shorter procedure
• less discomfort
• shorter recovery

Beaumont, Royal Oak was a pilot hospital for the new accreditation and helped the ICACSF board of directors develop the review process.

The ICACSF application process includes a detailed review of procedures and addresses standards that apply to the facility and equipment, physician and all support personnel training and experience, patient selection outcomes and ongoing quality assurance programs.

The Ernst Cardiovascular Center at Beaumont, Royal Oak provides innovative and collaborative approaches for the treatment of the most complex heart and vascular conditions.

Beaumont’s Peripheral Vascular Diagnostic Center (Vascular Laboratory) is a state-of-the-art, noninvasive testing facility that can evaluate all aspects of peripheral vascular disease including:
• carotid and intracranial arterial evaluation (stroke prevention)
• aortic and abdominal arterial evaluation (aneurysms, kidney artery disease causing high blood pressure)
• peripheral venous evaluation (venous thrombosis and varicose veins)
• peripheral artery evaluation (leg pain and nonhealing wounds)

The vascular laboratory also has an active screening program to evaluate for disease with no symptoms and to assess risk factors for future cardiovascular problems. Noninvasive testing is done using the latest 3-D ultrasound imaging and physiologic testing technology. The laboratory is accredited, with an experienced well-trained technical staff, all of whom are certified as Registered Vascular Technologists. All of the examinations are read and interpreted by board certified vascular surgeons, who are all certified as Registered Physician Vascular Interpreters.

The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Carotid Stenting Facilities or ICACSF was incorporated in 2010 in response to the need for standardization and improvement of the quality of carotid stenting facilities. The ICACSF is a nonprofit organization.

Source: Beaumont Health System