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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
The beginning of stroke prevention by surgery
1St Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
Insights
Understanding variations in the Circle of Willis and cervical carotid disease is key to predicting strokes. These factors, studied historically, inform modern treatments like carotid endarterectomy.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Stroke unpredictability stems from variations in the Circle of Willis and cervical carotid disease.
- These factors have been central to stroke research since 1664.
Abstract:
Normal variations in the crossflow capacity of the Circle of Willis, and the effects of disease upon this and on the thromboembolic potential of the cervical carotid, together account for the clinical unpredictability of strokes. These two factors form a recurring theme in the history of stroke studies, from 1664 with the publication of Cerebri Anatome, to the duplex and computer-assisted scanning techniques of today. The path followed by the discoverers is traced from Hippocrates to Moniz and Miller Fisher, to show how their work led directly to the technique of carotid endarterectomy.
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