Surgical Treatments of Stenosis of the Internal Carotid Artery

There are three categories among ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. One is lacunar infarction, another is atherothrombotic infarction, and the last is cardioembolic infarction. Strokes from atherothrombotic origin are increasing in Japan. Stenosis of the cervical carotid artery is a typical atherothrombotic disease. Carotid endarterectomy have been a choice of treatment for carotid stenosis; however, carotid stenting is developing as an alternative treatment for carotid stenosis. In this review, indication and operative techniques of carotid endarterectomy are presented.