Does surgery have a role in the management of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis? Yes, but...

Abstract

The question of whether carotid endarterectomy should be performed on patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis is one of the big medical controversies of our time. Uncertainty over surgical benefits hasn't stopped people from operating, however, with surgery rates soaring in some countries. Vincent Thijs reminds clinicians of the open questions in the field and calls for a more selective and cautious approach to surgery.