”Carotid endarterectomy” is an unfamiliar medical term to most people, but it is this new procedure that is quietly creating some miracles that change people’s fate. Carotid endarterectomy, or CEA for short, is a surgical procedure in which the internal carotid artery (usually the beginning of the internal carotid artery) is dissected and the atherosclerotic material deposited on the inner lining of the carotid artery is removed or replaced with an artificial vessel after it has been determined that the stroke was caused by an obstruction in the carotid or vertebral artery. In this way, the carotid artery and vertebral artery are able to deliver blood to each damaged area of the brain unimpeded, which can largely alleviate the sequelae caused by the stroke that occurred before the surgery, and can prevent the patient from having another stroke. Those who have visited our neurosurgery department will find that a new item – carotid artery examination – has been added to the routine physical examination of the neck for people over 45 years old. When a murmur is found on auscultation, the patient is initially suspected of having possible carotid artery stenosis, and the doctor will advise the patient to undergo further relevant examinations to confirm whether the internal carotid artery is stenosed. For inpatients with cerebral infarction, carotid ultrasound and TCD are mandatory and have a very high positive rate. If the stenosis of the internal carotid artery exceeds 75%, we will recommend the patient to have a DSA examination to evaluate the cerebrovascular function and provide guidance for the next treatment, such as carotid endarterectomy and stenting, both of which have been carried out in our department with good results. In the early 1990s, when cardiac bypass and cardiac intervention were first introduced into China, patients with cardiovascular disease had a hard time accepting the idea of doctors performing “surgery” on their delicate hearts, but just five or six years later, cardiac bypass and cardiac intervention are available in major hospitals nationwide. CEA surgery, in five or six years, may be as popular as cardiovascular surgery in China, and CEA surgery will be available in all major hospitals in China, and, as in the United States, with the increase in CEA surgery, the death rate of stroke will be significantly reduced and the quality of life of stroke patients will be significantly improved.