The latest research indicates that surgery is a much better choice than stents for stroke prevention in patients with carotid artery blockages.

A team of physicians at the Hospital Sainte-Anne, Paris, cut short a study comparing the effectiveness of the two procedures when the disparity became obvious.

An earlier study in Germany reached a similar conclusion and also was curtailed.

Using wire-mesh stents to prop open neck arteries has become increasingly favored in recent years. Some American studies have shown that it is more effective than the traditional method of surgically removing plaque.

Researchers cannot explain why the studies are at odds and say that further research is needed.