Carotid intervention in the form of endarterectomy or stenting is the current standard of care for the majority of patients with symptomatic high-grade carotid stenosis. However, some randomised controlled trials (RCT) have demonstrated that women benefited significantly less from intervention than men. It is unclear if this is a true phenomenon or a study sampling artefact, as women were severely under-represented in all RCTs of carotid revascularisation. A systematic review is needed to summarise the existing data and to answer the question of whether a women-only trial for symptomatic patients with ipsilateral carotid stenosis is scientifically necessary and ethically permissible.

We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the association between white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and carotid artery (CA) stenosis.

Use of patch angioplasty in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is suggested to reduce the risk of restenosis and recurrent ipsilateral stroke. The objective is to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis as well as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) assessments comparing the benefits and harms of CEA with primary closure of the arterial wall versus CEA with patch angioplasty in patients with a symptomatic and significant carotid stenosis.

In recent years, the transcarotid artery revascularisation (TCAR) with flow reversal technique has been developed to treat carotid artery stenosis. The superiority of TCAR over transfemoral carotid artery stenting has been demonstrated. However, the safety and efficacy of TCAR and carotid endarterectomy remain unclear. This study aims to introduce a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the morbidity and mortality rates between TCAR and carotid endarterectomy in the treatment of atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis.

Traditional carotid endarterectomy is considered to be the standard technique for prevention of a new stroke in patients with a symptomatic carotid stenosis. Use of patch angioplasty to restore the arterial wall after longitudinal endarterectomy is, to date, not unequivocally proven to be superior to eversion technique. A systematic review is needed for evaluation of benefits and harms of the eversion technique versus the traditional endarterectomy with patch angioplasty in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis.