Departments and specialties

Mayo Clinic has one of the largest and most experienced practices in the United States, with campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Staff skilled in dozens of specialties work together to ensure quality care and successful recovery.

Research

Mayo Clinic researchers are working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of carotid artery disease. Efforts include evaluating treatment options for carotid artery disease that has no symptoms and surgical ways of treating carotid artery disease that has symptoms. Researchers also look at which techniques offer the best outcomes in light of advances in medical therapy and surgical techniques.

Mayo researchers were involved in the multicenter Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy versus Stenting Trial (CREST), which defined treatment protocols and compared outcomes of the two procedures.

Mayo Clinic is now the clinical coordinating center for the ongoing CREST2 trial, which is designed to compare three different methods of stroke prevention to find the safest and most effective treatment for patients with narrowing of their carotid arteries. Related work assessing CREST data yields insights into the effectiveness of patching during endarterectomy procedures.

Mayo clinicians also are working to advance ultrasound evaluation of carotid plaque characteristics, to better identify plaques with higher stroke risk based on sonography.

Publications

See a list of publications on carotid artery disease by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.