Carotid stenosis: current strategies for choosing between medical and surgical management.

The effectiveness of carotid revascularization depends on appropriate patient selection and balancing the expected benefits with the risks of treatment. Exceeding a rate of serious complications (strokes and deaths) of 5% for asymptomatic and 9% for symptomatic patients negates any benefit for carotid endarterectomy. Endovascular techniques such as stent-supported angioplasty will likely change the management approach for some patients with carotid occlusive disease. This paper contains the author's recommendations for choosing between medical and surgical management of carotid stenosis.