EurekAlert -- New research published in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that “high-risk” patients with multiple medical conditions, including high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, can safely undergo carotid endarterectomy – a stroke-preventing surgical procedure that clears blockages from the neck’s carotid arteries. Carotid endarterectomy has been shown to safely and effectively prevent strokes in several clinical trials. However, clinicians have previously suggested that patients with multiple medical comorbidities receive alternative therapies – such as angioplasty and stenting – to avoid complications associated with an open surgical procedure.
