Surgical treatment of nonatherosclerotic lesions of the extracranial carotid artery

Nonatherosclerotic disorders of the extracranial carotid artery, such as di ssections, aneurysms, and carotid body tumors, are diverse in their causes, presentations, and modes of treatment. The surgical treatment of these les ions often will require a higher exposure of the extracranial carotid than is typical for a carotid endarterectomy. The prevention of perioperative is chemic injury assumes a major role in determining the surgical strategy for treating these lesions. This article offers a brief description of several of these disorders, a review of the general surgical approach to the high cervical artery, and a brief description of lesion-specific surgical techni ques.