The purpose of carotid artery surgery and stenting is to prevent stroke and, when combined with appropriate medical therapy, is a successful strategy in selected, mainly symptomatic, patients. Medical therapy alone is an effective alternative in many asymptomatic patients and safer in those who are elderly or at high risk for surgery and stenting and don’t have the life expectancy to benefit from such a prophylactic procedure.
Sources:
Hobson RW, et al. Management of atherosclerotic carotid artery disease: clinical practice guidelines of the Society for Vascular Surgery. J Vasc Surg 2008;48:480-6. PMID: 18644494.
Voeks JH, et al. Age and outcomes after carotid stenting and endarterectomy: the carotid revascularization endarterectomy versus stenting trial. Stroke 2011;42(12):3484-90. PMID: 21980205.
Wach MM, et al. Carotid artery stenting in nonagenarians: are there benefits in surgically treating this high risk population? J Neurointerv Surg 2015;7(3):182-7. PMID: 24503283.