Carotid Endarterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove plaque which may cause a blockage in the lining of the carotid artery and interrupt the flow of blood to the brain. 

Often a patient may be assessed for this in advance of heart surgery, or if they have suffered an unexplained Transient Ischemic Attack (also called a TIA, which is when blood flow to a part of the brain stops for a brief period of time and a person will have stroke-like symptoms for up to 1-2 hours).  Other patients may simply be assessed as a preventative measure.