Table 1:

Major eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria	Symptomatic carotid stenosis >70% Asymptomatic stenosis >70% Stenosis >50% and <70% with an evidence of: High-risk plaque morphology Microembolism
Exclusion criteria	Bleeding diathesis Disabling stroke Total occlusion lesions Cerebral aneurysm Degenerative cerebral diseases: Alzheimer Cerebral tumors Illness impeding informed consent Life expectancy <2 years