Common carotid artery At approximately the level of the fourth cervical vertebra, the common carotid artery splits ("bifurcates" in literature) into an internal carotid artery (ICA) and an external carotid artery (ECA). While both branches travel upward, the internal carotid takes a deeper (more internal) path, eventually travelling up into the skull to supply the brain. The external carotid artery travels more closely to the surface, and sends off numerous branches that supply the neck and face. At the lower part of the neck the common carotid artery is very deeply seated, being covered by the integument, superficial fascia, the platysma muscle, deep
Carotid endarterectomy 7 carotid stent systems as safe and effective in patients at increased risk of complications for carotid surgery and 1 carotid stent system for patients at average or usual risk of carotid surgery. The SAPPHIRE study of patients at high surgical risk for carotid surgery demonstrated non-inferiority for carotid stenting compared to carotid surgery. The CREST trial, the largest trial comparing carotid surgery to carotid stenting in over 2,500 patients found that carotid artery stenting resulted in a stroke rate of 6.4% versus 4.7% for endarterectomy at 4 years. However, carotid endarterectomy was associated with a slightly higher rate of