Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA) in Sarasota & Bradenton
Decades of Evidence. One Goal: Reducing Your Risk of Stroke.
Carotid endarterectomy — CEA for short — has been performed for more than 60 years, and the evidence behind it is among the strongest in all of vascular surgery. If your doctor has told you that you have significant narrowing in one of your carotid arteries, CEA may be the most reliable option available to reduce your risk of stroke.
At Vascular Wellness Institute, our board-certified vascular surgeons have performed this procedure many times across their combined 28 years in vascular practice. We offer CEA as part of a full range of carotid treatments — and we help each patient understand which approach is right for their specific anatomy and health history.
What Is Carotid Artery Disease?
The carotid arteries run along each side of your neck and supply blood to your brain. Over time — particularly with risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, or diabetes — fatty deposits called plaque can build up inside these arteries and narrow them. This narrowing is called carotid artery stenosis.
When plaque builds up, it can break apart and send tiny fragments into the brain, causing a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA, sometimes called a mini-stroke). Carotid artery disease accounts for an estimated 10 to 15 percent of all ischemic strokes. The encouraging news is that when stenosis is identified and treated before a stroke occurs, the risk can be dramatically reduced.
What Happens During CEA?
CEA is performed under general or regional anesthesia, typically in a hospital setting. Your surgeon makes a small incision along the side of your neck to access the carotid artery. The artery is temporarily clamped, carefully opened, and the plaque is removed directly. The artery is then repaired — either closed directly or widened with a small patch — and blood flow is restored.
The procedure typically takes one to two hours. Most patients spend one night in the hospital for observation and go home the following day. Recovery at home is generally one to two weeks, and most people return to normal activities without restrictions.
Why CEA Has One of the Strongest Evidence Records in Vascular Surgery
CEA is not simply an older technique that has been replaced — it remains the preferred treatment for many patients with significant carotid stenosis, and for good reason. The landmark NASCET trial (North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial) demonstrated that CEA reduced the two-year risk of stroke by more than 65 percent in patients with symptomatic stenosis greater than 70 percent. The ACAS trial (Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study) showed meaningful benefit in asymptomatic patients as well.
For patients who are standard surgical candidates with anatomy favorable to open surgery, major vascular surgery societies — including the Society for Vascular Surgery — continue to recommend CEA as the first-line treatment. Your surgeon will review your imaging and discuss whether CEA, TCAR, or carotid artery stenting is the most appropriate choice for your situation.
Who Is a Candidate for CEA?
CEA is generally recommended for patients with:
- Symptomatic carotid stenosis of 50 percent or greater (following a TIA or stroke)
- Asymptomatic carotid stenosis of 60 to 70 percent or greater in otherwise healthy surgical candidates
- Anatomy and overall health status suitable for an open surgical procedure
- No contraindications that would make TCAR or stenting a better choice
CEA at Vascular Wellness Institute
Our surgeons perform CEA at HCA Florida Blake Medical Center in Bradenton and HCA Doctors Hospital in Sarasota. We coordinate with your cardiologist, neurologist, or primary care physician as needed to ensure you are prepared for surgery and well-supported through recovery.
If you have been told you have carotid artery disease and are not sure what your treatment options are, we welcome the opportunity to review your imaging and give you a clear, honest answer.