Carotid Endarterectomy for Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis

Ischemic stroke remains one of the most common devastating illnesses in developed countries, ranking third as the cause of death and extracting a huge socioeconomic toll because of the permanence of the disability experienced by many of those who survive. Possible medical and surgical measures to prevent stroke therefore assume paramount importance. Their potential impact demands that their value be affirmed or denied with all the certainty that can be brought to bear by modern methods. Carotid endarterectomy has been proposed as a stroke-preventing measure and employed with increasing enthusiasm since its introduction in 1954. The frequency of its application…