Cerebral revascularization for cerebral ischemia and stroke prevention in patients with atherosclerotic occlusive disease: defining the population that benefits.

The decision to perform a revascularization procedure on a patient who may or may not benefit from it must be based on an understanding of the impact of spontaneous or therapeutic vascular occlusion on the physiologic, by which the cerebral circulation compensates for vascular occlusions. This impact is patient specific and requires examination of a number of possible physiologic parameters.