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 understanding of the nature of carotid occlusive disease. It was only through an understanding of the basis of this disease that a rational surgical treatment could be formulated. Following a well-characterized disease process, surgical strategies were developed and refined during the first half of the twentieth century. After these surgical techniques had been refined, a number of national and international trials were performed to better determine which patients were candidates for surgical intervention. Currently, endovascular treatment stands on the horizon as a new therapeutic modality with which carotid occlusive disease may be treated.