Carotid Endarterectomy Carotid Endarterectomy Carotid Endarterectomy has been performed since the 1950s.
Stroke is one of the most common causes of death in the United States.
It often leaves survivors permanently disabled due to paralysis or blindness. Most strokes are caused by portions of the plaque from clogged arteries in the neck being washed up into the brain. Other causes are clots washed to the brain from the heart, or blockages in the small blood vessels in the brain itself. Several of these trials are still under way to see if patients with lesser degrees of blockage will also benefit from surgery. Deciding which of these patients to operate on is a more difficult problem, as there is a risk of stroke at the time of surgery.