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What happens during a carotid endarterectomy?
Once the diagnosis of significant carotid stenosis is made, the most appropriate therapy is vascular surgery,
which may include carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting. Your surgeon will help you decide which procedure is best for you. NYU's vascular surgeons offer both surgery options. Treatment is individualized to each patient.
At New York University Division of Vascular Surgery, 85% of carotid endarterectomies are performed under local anesthesia.
The surgery takes approximately 1.5 hours. Patients are admitted to the hospital on the same day of surgery.
Carotid Endarterectomy Procedure
A local anesthetic is administered and surgery begins.
The surgeon makes an incision along the side of the neck and locates the carotid artery.
The surgeon opens the artery, removes the plaque, and closes the artery with a patch commonly made of Dacron fabric.
Patients typically stay in the hospital overnight for observation.
Benefits and Complications of Carotid Artery Surgery
Carotid endarterectomy and carotid stenting have been proven to reduce the risk of stroke
Patients typically feel well in a matter of days following surgery.
Complications of Carotid Artery Surgery
The most common complication associated with surgery is stroke, which can occur in the perioperative period (during or shortly following surgery).
NYU's vascular surgeons have a 1–2% perioperative complication rate, one of the lowest worldwide, and a 1.5% morbidity rate in preventing stroke by removing plaque from arteries, the lowest in New York state.
Carotid Artery Surgery, Angioplasty, Stenting Research at NYU
Surgeons at NYU continually evaluate and debate the use of angioplasty and stents over carotid endarterectomy in treating carotid atherosclerosis. Current clinical trials include:
Why Choose NYU for Carotid Artery Surgery?
NYU Medical Center's vascular surgeons perform all types of carotid artery surgery—arterial stenting, angioplasty, and carotid endarterectomy—and critically evaluate each patient's unique vascular health needs to produce the best individualized treatment plan.
NYU Medical Center's Division of Vascular Surgery offers the largest team of top-level vascular specialists in New York City. Members of a leading academic medical center, NYU's vascular surgeons are deeply committed to finding the most advanced, innovative, proven methods to treat carotid artery atherosclerosis.
NYU's vascular surgeons have proven success in their outcomes, including complication and mortality rates among the lowest in the state, the nation, and the world.
NYU's vascular surgeons are academic experts in the area of carotid artery disease, having written volumes of articles, books, and papers on subjects including atherosclerosis, carotid artery stenosis, carotid artery stents, angioplasty, and carotid artery endarterectomy surgery. Vascular surgeons at NYU have contributed to the 2 most important papers published in medical literature regarding carotid stenosis:
1. "Endarterectomy for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis"
Journal of the American Medical Association. 1995, 273:1421-1428.
Details the Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis (ACAS) trial in which carotid endarterectomy proved more beneficial than medical management for asymptomatic carotid stenosis.
2. New England Journal of Medicine. 1991, 325:445-453.
The North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET), the most important trial for symptomatic carotid stenosis, demonstrated that carotid endarterectomy was more beneficial than medical therapy for symptomatic high-grade carotid artery stenosis.
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