A patient at HonorHealth Research Institute is one of the nation’s first (and the first in Arizona) to undergo a non-surgical, catheter-based procedure with a new type of stroke-prevention stent that eliminates blockages in neck arteries.

The Neuroguard Integrated Embolic Protection system is an experimental treatment for carotid artery stenosis, also known as carotid artery disease, a condition in which fatty-waxy deposits known as plaque builds up and blocks the normal flow of blood in the large arteries on either side of the neck, according to a press release.

The physician who performed the procedure, Venkatesh Ramaiah, M.D., a vascular surgeon and director of HonorHealth’s vascular services, said the device avoids carotid endarterectomy, a previous method for removing plaque from carotid arteries, which involves a surgical procedure requiring an incision directly into the neck.

“This new system combines a truly innovative stent design,” Dr. Ramaiah, a former director of the Arizona Heart Hospital, said in the release. “We were fortunate to be the first in the Southwest to use such technology.”