Endarterectomy at the Clínic

Over 70 carotid endarterectomies are performed every year at the Clínic, in patients with both symptomatic and asymptomatic stenosis. All these patients are evaluated multidisciplinarily by the Neurology Service and other specialities, such as Endocrinology and Radiology. The aim is to offer each patient the best technical alternative and the best optimisation or control of their own risk factors to prevent new neurological or cardiovascular problems in the future.

In addition, the Clínic Barcelona hospital participates in numerous lines of research on carotid stenosis, especially in asymptomatic patients. One example is the TAXINOMISIS project, a study financed by the European Commission. This seeks to obtain new risk factors, via clinical, analytical or imaging tests to make it possible to determine those patients who would benefit more from an operation to reduce the risk of stroke. Here, new diagnostic tools and pharmacological treatments for this pathology are studied.

The Clínic is also the only European centre accredited to participate in the CREST-II study. This is a randomised clinical trial to determine the best treatment alternative in patients with asymptomatic stenosis. The aim is to determine if the treatment has to be exclusively pharmacological or pharmacological and surgical (via endarterectomy or another carotid revascularisation procedure). This study has required evaluating and accrediting the expertise of the entire medical and surgical team in managing the disease.