Carotid surgery is usually done to prevent stroke. This constitutes a "cleaning" out of the main artery in your neck taking blood to the brain. This is done through a 10 - 15cm neck incision which is not a painful operation but a delicate one, as we deal with blood that goes to your brain. I usually use a temporary shunt whilst I work on your artery and then close this with a patch to prevent blockage or narrowing. Patients usually go home in 2 to 3 days. This is a routine operation in specialist hands with minimal complications.