Steady Decline in Rate of Carotid Revascularization Procedures Performed

Carotid revascularization procedures are performed routinely to reduce the risk for stroke. The benefits of carotid revascularization are well established for patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis and selected patients with asymptomatic carotid disease, but developments over the last 15 years — including clinical trials comparing carotid endarterectomy to carotid artery stenting, changes to U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement policies for carotid artery stenting, and contemporary medical interventions and shifts in the prevalence of vascular risk factors and carotid disease — all have had potential effects on practice patterns for managing carotid stenosis.

In this serial cross-sectional study, researcher…