Abstract
Surgical carotid endarterectomy was for a long time considered the standard approach to the treatment of atherosclerotic carotid artery disease. Despite its initial limitations and slow acceptance, carotid artery stenting has evolved into an elaborate method currently considered to be equivalent and in some patients even preferable to carotid endarterectomy.
Given the fact that the long-term outcomes of carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy are comparable, the major risk of both procedures is derived from the periprocedural complications, which are highly operator dependent. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound is a well-established dia-gnostic and monitoring tool allowing optimising the care of patients with carotid artery disease.
The article summarises the knowledge regarding the invasive treatment of carotid artery disease with a focus on the beneficial use of transcranial Doppler ultrasound.