Carotid Artery Disease Treatment

Treatment Can Help Prevent Stroke

Carotid artery disease develops when the neck's major arteries -- which deliver oxygen to the brain -- become narrowed and blocked by atherosclerosis or plaque buildup. Treating carotid artery disease can help prevent stroke.

Surgeons in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and cardiologists in the CardioVascular Institute have extensive experience in treating carotid artery disease with:

• Open carotid endarterectomy surgery, to remove plaque blocking the carotid arteries.
• Endovascular carotid angioplasty and stenting, a minimally invasive catheter-based procedure that flattens plaque against your artery walls and uses a stent to keep the artery open.
• Medical management

Clinical Trials

Our division participates in numerous clinical trials and registries that benchmark the results of carotid stenting. Faculty have served as local principal investigators for major clinical trials, including one that evaluated the safety and effectiveness of stenting versus endarterectomy in asymptomatic patients.