Indications
Contraindications
Complete occlusion – somewhat counterintuitively, once the carotid artery has been completely blocked by atherosclerotic plaque it is not possible to remove the plaque surgically without an almost certain cerebrovascular stroke occurring postoperatively.
Incision
Details of the Procedure
1. Dissection is done through the platysma muscle.
2. Care must be taken to not extend the upper end of the incision too far anteriorly to avoid damaging the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve that runs just inferiorly to the horizontal ramus of the mandible (injury here causes lower lip paralysis).