What is CEA? Carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure where the carotid artery is opened, and the plaque is removed. The procedure allows restoration of blood flow and removal of embolic material to reduce the risk of ischemic / embolic stroke and TIA. There are two main techniques: the classical/conventional method, where a patch is used to enlarge the vessel, and the eversion method, where the carotid artery is transected at the bifurcation and then everted to remove the plaque. The arte