History of carotid surgery

The history of carotid surgery begins not with the detailing of the various surgical procedures, as might be imagined, but with a history of the under standing of the nature of carotid occlusive disease. It was only through an understanding of the basis of this disease that a rational surgical treatm ent could be formulated. Following a well-characterized disease process, su rgical strategies were developed and refined during the first half of the t wentieth century. After these surgical techniques had been refined, a numbe r of national and international trials were performed to better determine w hich patients were candidates for surgical intervention. Currently, endovas cular treatment stands on the horizon as a new therapeutic modality with wh ich carotid occlusive disease may be treated.