Current status of the surgical treatment of patients with carotid artery disease: the surgical management of carotid atherosclerosis.

Patients with carotid artherosclerotic disease present with a history of a neurologic event or with the presence of a bruit on physical examination. Recently, large randomized prospective studies have examined this group of patients to determine the optimal course of medical and surgical management. The data from these studies, together with the natural history of carotid disease and factors associated with stroke risk, are reviewed.