DOCTORS at Boston's Pilgrim Hospital are holding an event this week to raise awareness of brain attacks and the surgery available to prevent a stroke following an attack.

Brain attacks and strokes are the third most common cause of death and the most common cause of severe disability in the UK.

The vascular unit at the Pilgrim provides world-class surgery to patients following brain attacks and the hospital's consultants are hoping to raise awareness of them among the local population.

Consultant vascular surgeon Jayarama Mohan told the Target: "A brain attack is caused by a tight narrowing of a blood vessel supplying the brain.

"When someone has a brain attack, treatment via surgery is one of the most effective ways to prevent further attacks or stroke.

"The Pilgrim vascular unit has carried out more than 80 operations to clear this blood vessel, the carotid artery, in people who have had brain attacks.

"Our results have been exceptional and would easily compare with any specialist unit in the world.

"Now our team wants to use its expertise to educate local people making them all aware of what to look for and what they should do if they or someone they know experiences symptoms of brain attack.

"That is why we are holding this event."

The event is on Friday from 11am to 1pm at the Postgraduate Education Centre at the hospital. This is a public event and everyone is welcome, including previous patients. At the event experts from the Pilgrim team will report on the results of a patient satisfaction survey of people following their surgery and be on hand to answer questions. Guest speakers include two patients who have had the surgery, who will speak to the public about their experiences.