Patient: I recently felt a swollen headache, numbness and coldness in the left side of my body. There is no pulse in my left hand and I can’t get a blood pressure. On April 17, 2013, I was diagnosed with “subclavian artery steal syndrome” by an ultrasound at a Chinese medicine hospital. How can I treat it? Doctor: Hello! First, let me answer your question: “Left subclavian artery theft syndrome” is caused by the proximal narrowing or occlusion of the left subclavian artery (the artery that supplies blood to the left upper extremity, the posterior part of the brain and the cerebellum). Due to the narrowing or occlusion of the proximal subclavian artery, there is no blood flow to its distal end (mainly the upper extremity) (manifested as pulselessness, coldness, and numbness in the left upper extremity). In order to improve this situation, the body itself diverts some of the blood flow supplying the brain (the previously mentioned arteries supplying the back part of the brain and the cerebellum, etc.) to the upper limbs (“stealing the blood flow from the brain”). This in turn causes ischemia in the brain, which in severe cases can be fatal infarction. I don’t know if my answer makes sense? If what I explained is not quite satisfactory, go ahead and ask questions. However, in conclusion, if it is clear that there is a stenosis or occlusion of the subclavian artery and it has caused blood theft, it is necessary to treat it surgically. The current surgical approach, the preferred option is subclavian artery stenting.