Summary: Results of a major national study, released in spring 2010, compared two methods for treating blockages in the carotid arteries, which are the main pathways for blood getting to your brain. Blockages in these arteries dramatically increase the chance for stroke, so researchers wanted to know which method, surgery or stenting, provided the best outcome for patients. In this interview with Sharon Boston, Dr. Brajesh Lal, a vascular surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center, discusses the results of the study called CREST (Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting Trial). Dr. Lal was one of the lead authors of the study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Lal is also an associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
