Any risk for hemorrhagic stroke is very low, particularly with low-dose aspirin. Other Anti-Clotting Agents. Ticlopidine and clopidogrel are as effective as aspirin but are costly. Ticlopidine has also been associated with dangerous blood disorders, particularly thrombocytopenia. Although clopidogrel has largely replaced ticlopidine because it had a better early safety profile, reports of thrombocytopenia in patients taking clopidogrel have created some concern.
Warfarin needs to be monitored carefully.
Carotid Endarterectomy to Prevent Ischemic Stroke Carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure used to clean out and open up the narrowed carotid artery. The patient is usually given general anesthesia, although it has been reported that using local anesthetic is just as safe and reduces the cost of the procedure. A by-pass tube is put in place to transport blood around the blocked area during the procedure. The surgeon scrapes away the plaque on the arterial wall. The artery is sewn back together and blood flow is restored.