U. S. Researchers on Friday said that a new approach using stents has been discovered, which will prevent strokes.

For several years, surgery had been the preferred way to clear away dangerous fatty deposits in neck arteries that can cause strokes.

Carotid artery stenting involves threading a wire mesh coil called a stent in the neck artery to widen the blocked area and capture any dislodged plaque that could travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

They compared the treatment with surgery, in which doctors cut open the neck, scrape away the fatty deposits in the artery, and sew it back.

The nine-year trial, dubbed the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting Trial or CREST trial, compared the safety and effectiveness of surgery versus stenting in 2,502 patients with or without a previous stroke.

They found that patients who had surgery had lower rates of subsequent strokes, while those who had gotten a stent were less likely to have a heart attack after the procedure.

Dr. Gary Roubin of the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City presented his findings at the International Stroke Conference in San Antonio. He said, "Although the purpose of the study was to compare the two procedures, we were pleased to find that both surgery and stenting have become extraordinarily safe".