We Canadians

Photograph by: Pat Mcgrath, the Ottawa Citizen

I had a mini-stroke a few weeks back, followed by surgery to remove an artery blockage. Thanks to the wonderful staff at the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital, the entire procedure went very well.

However, sometimes I wonder if the mini-stroke I suffered could have been avoided if a simple diagnostic test had been performed well in advance.

I was prescribed this test — a Doppler ultrasound — after the stroke. It showed that a major artery in the neck was 80 per cent blocked, requiring surgical intervention. Later, other more advanced tests were also done on me to get a better picture of what was happening.

I would like to suggest that the Doppler ultrasound test should be used as a screening tool for early detection of artery blockage. Why wait till a stroke occurs? If blockage is detected early enough, lifestyle changes and medication may be enough to fix the problem. Surely, prevention costs far less than a cure.

Doppler screening may not be practicable for every one, as the costs would be prohibitive. However, it could be used for patients who are at a higher risk due to age, elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol or other medical conditions.

The Doppler test could also be a paid option not covered by the provincial health plan.

I personally would have gladly spent a couple of hundred dollars for this test two years ago. At that time, the blockage would have been less severe and could have been controlled with diet, exercise and medication, saving the health-care system thousands of dollars in future medical costs.

Niraj Chandra,

Ottawa

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