Curious if anyone has ever been diagnosed with IJV compression due to an artery, such as the carotid.
Arteries have much thicker, more muscular walls than veins and the blood flowing through them is under higher pressure, so they can squeeze the jugular vein if they are in close contact.
Has anyone dealt with this condition (with or without compression by C1 vertebra)? Did they have surgery to correct it, and how did they do? How do surgeons propose to address this issue? Does the surgery provide long-term relief?
Here is a quite recent Youtube video from Dr. Kamran Aghayev explaining how he treated such a case surgically. This case was unusual since there was no bony compression of IJV by the styloid or the C1 vertebra at all, only soft-tissue compression by the carotid.
He moved the artery off from the vein and repositioned it, using the styloid itself as an anchor to keep the artery separated from the vein.
Thanks for sharing the article! Yes, we have had some members with arterial compression on the IJV- this is also mentioned in the video Dr Costantino did, the occipital artery is one which can cause compression. (Other soft tissues can cause compression too; nerves and lymph nodes). Here’s a link to the video in case you’ve not seen it: Dr Costantino IJV compression and surgery - Symptoms and Treatments / Doctor Information - Living with Eagle
Interesting video & interesting solution to that patient’s IJV compression. Thank you for sharing the link with us @callove. We’re learning more & more about Dr. Aghayev. I appreciated his comment that each patient is unique therefore each surgery must be tailored to each individual situation. I suspect some doctors have a “one surgery fits all” mindset for a given diagnosis which doesn’t always produce the desired outcome.
Yes my daughter had an IJV strangulation from the carotid artery. The artery was wrapped around the IJV preventing blood flow. When Dr. Hepworth went in her neck he found LOTS of scar tissue that was keeping the carotid and IJV wrapped and tangled. When he removed the scar tissue and unwrapped the carotid from the IJV and removed a very large lymph node, the IJV still did not open completely. Then he also shaved C1 and the styloid, then the IJV opened nice and full. I am glad your doctor is thinking about other possibles hindering blood flow than just shaving the C1 or just doing something else! I hope you can find good answers and a path forward that you feel at peace with your decision.
