Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a surgical

Surgery

Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...

 procedure used to prevent stroke, by correcting stenosis (narrowing) in the common carotid artery

Common carotid artery

In human anatomy, the common carotid artery is an artery that supplies the head and neck with oxygenated blood; it divides in the neck to form the external and internal carotid arteries. - Structure :...

. Endarterectomy

Endarterectomy

Endarterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the atheromatous plaque material, or blockage, in the lining of an artery constricted by the buildup of soft/hardening deposits. It is carried out by separating the plaque from the arterial wall....

 is the removal of material on the inside (end-) of an artery

Artery

Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries....

.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol...

 causes plaque

Plaque

Plaque or placque may refer to:* Commemorative plaque, a flat ornamental plate or tablet fixed to a wall, used to mark a significant event, person, etc.* Memorial Plaque, issued to next-of-kin of dead British military personnel after World War I...

 to form in the carotid arteries, usually at the fork where the common carotid artery divides into the internal and external carotid artery. The plaque can build up in the inner surface of the artery (lumen

Lumen (anatomy)

A lumen in biology is the inside space of a tubular structure, such as an artery or intestine...

), and narrow or constrict the artery.