Blockages or plaques in the carotid arteries in the neck can cause neurologic symptoms like transient ischemic attacks (TIA or “ministrokes”) or strokes. The risk of this is decreased by medication, but in many cases the blockage is already severe enough to make it necessary to open the artery. Traditionally, this has been done via a surgical procedure called carotid endarterectomy, but in recent years it has also become possible to open the artery via minimally invasive stenting, especially in patients who are poor candidates for surgery.