Carotid surgery from the perspective of a vascular surgeon.

Abstract

Since the beginning of carotid surgery, there has been an effort to find the safest technique for carotid endarterectomy and ensure sufficient brain perfusion during the procedure. Similarly, endovascular procedures have been modernized from simple balloon angioplasty to stent placement, and protective systems have been developed to prevent periprocedural embolization. The second half of the last century became an important stage in examining and comparing the results of carotid endarterectomy and carotid stenting, -searching for and establishing indication criteria in the context of highly effective antiplatelet -therapy. At the turn of the century, with the advent of modern techniques of regional anesthesia and intravenous analgosedation, most vascular departments gradually moved away from carotid surgery under general anesthesia and there was a renaissance of eversion endarterectomy techniques. From a vascular perspective, carotid surgery underwent a long, closely monitored development and defended its place as the first choice in the treatment of carotid stenoses.