The purpose of surgical therapy for vascular disease is to prevent stroke . Stroke can be caused by atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries located in the neck.
The procedure is contraindicated in patients with an occluded carotid artery and in cases of severe neurologic deficit resulting from cerebral infarction.
Carotid endarterectomy is the surgical exposure of the carotid artery and the removal of the plaque. This re-establishes the uninterrupted flow of blood to the brain.
rerouting the blood through a tube (shunt) connecting the vessels below and above the surgical site. The carotid artery is opened and the waxy fat deposit is removed,