Lake Hospital System First Community Hospital in Area to Perform Vertebral Artery Bypass

New Innovative Procedure Restores Blood Flow in Patients With Severely Clogged Vertebral Arteries

Clogging of the arteries that carry blood to the brain contributes to more than a quarter of all strokes. Now, an innovative surgical procedure being performed at Lake Hospital System is safely restoring blood flow in patients with severely clogged vertebral arteries.

Earlier this year, Lake Hospital System became the first community hospital in the area to perform the complex procedure, called a vertebral artery bypass. The procedure is rarely performed because most patients with this condition can be treated with stents or procedures that remove the plaque -- a composite of cholesterol, fat, protein and blood platelets -- clinging to the vertebral artery wall. But for the small percentage of patients with severe blockages in both of their vertebral arteries, a vertebral artery bypass is the safest and most effective way to restore blood flow. 

The procedure has been life changing for Leroy Township resident Michael Kerestesy. Earlier this year, Kerestesy began experiencing double vision, dizziness, slurred speech and short-term memory loss. What he didn't know at the time was that he had already experienced a number of mini-strokes and was on the verge of having a major stroke.

After seeing his primary care physician, Kerestesy made an appointment with Lake Hospital System vascular surgeon Vikram Kalakuntla, MD. Dr. Kalakuntla ordered an ultrasound, which revealed Kerestesy had a 100 percent blockage in one vertebral artery and a 90 percent blockage in the other.

The vertebral arteries, which are located in the back of the neck, carry blood from the heart to the brain. "If fatty plaque clogs even one of the two vertebral arteries, it can shut off or impede blood flow, leading to brain tissue damage and stroke," explained Dr. Kalakuntla.

After carefully screening Kerestesy, Dr. Kalakuntla recommended that he undergo a vertebral artery bypass. During the one and half hour procedure, Dr. Kalakuntla makes a small, three-inch incision just above the patient's left collarbone. Then he "unhooks" the clogged vertebral arteries and redirects blood flow from the carotid arteries. Once rerouted, there is a 90 percent chance that blood flow will remain fully restored over the next 10-15 years.

This past January, Kerestesy became the first patient at Lake Hospital System to undergo the complex procedure that yields immediate results.

"When I woke up in recovery, the first thing I noticed was that my vision was clear," Kerestesy recalls. "Over the next few days, I began to feel more energetic and more mentally sharp than I had in a long time. "

Because his condition had developed gradually over many years, it wasn't until after the surgery that Kerestesy realized how much his mental and physical health had been impacted.

"It's a night and day difference. I feel like my old self again," said Kerestesy, a machinist at Bevcorp in Willoughby. "I'm so grateful for Dr. Kalakuntla. I really believe he saved my life."