It sounds scary, but staying awake during surgery may help the doctor's accuracy. It's all part of a new approach to prevent stroke -- something that hits 700,000 people in the United States every year. Patients can now talk surgeons through a life-saving operation and guide them to success.

Raised in a restaurant, 55-year-old Jude Crosby knows his way around a kitchen. But he also inherited something else -- a high risk of stroke.

"My mother died of stroke, a blood clot that was a pulmonary embolism," Crosby told Ivanhoe.

He didn't have any symptoms, but an ultrasound showed Crosby's carotid artery was 90 percent blocked.

"If you have a blockage, those pieces of the plaque can break off and debris can go into the brain, and that's how you can get a stroke," Hernan Bazan, M.D., assistant professor of surgery in the section of vascular surgery at the LSUHSC School of Medicine in New Orleans, La., told Ivanhoe.

Clearing a blocked carotid artery is generally done under general anesthesia, but Dr. Bazan performs the procedure with local anesthetic and slight sedation. The patient is awake.

"They asked me certain questions, to which I answered yes or no during the procedure," Crosby said.

The patient can let the doctor know how his brain is functioning as the surgeon clears away plaque and opens the blocked artery. The surgery also avoids risks associated with general anesthesia.

"The nice thing about that is you can talk to them during surgery, so you know exactly what's going on in the brain," Dr. Bazan explained.

Almost a year after surgery, Crosby's checkups have taken a turn for the better.

"Oh, I'm definitely at a lower risk right now of having a stroke," Crosby said.

His surgery was a life-changing wake up call. Now, he's following a recipe for a healthier future.

"Now, I'm just a ball of energy!" Crosby said.

Family history, smoking and high cholesterol can all increase your risk for a blocked carotid artery. Surgeons say the best time to perform the awake blockage-clearing procedure is before patients begin to feel the symptoms.

Content courtesy of Ivanhoe. For more information, click here.