Neck artery surgery or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is performed to prevent a stroke from occurring. CEA is a surgical procedure in which a doctor removes fatty deposits blocking one of the two neck (carotid) arteries, which are the main supply of blood for the brain. The disease process that causes the buildup of fat and other material inside the artery walls is called atherosclerosis, also known as "hardening of the arteries." Neck (carotid) artery problems become more common as people age. 

CEA is a fairly common procedure that requires expertise with the use of complex equipment; technical errors while using this equipment may lead to significant complications, such as neck blockage (carotid occlusion) with or without a stroke, heart attack and death.

A hospital that performs a higher volume of CEA may have more expertise with those procedures, which may result in less of a likelihood of complications. Therefore a hospital that performs more CEA may have better outcomes for patients that undergo this procedure. The CEA volume measure should be used in conjunction with the CEA mortality measure.