Aim of the study - to examine the risk factors for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and their effect on the results of surgical treatment in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia. The study included 340 patients who were operated in the institute from 2007 to 2011. All patients underwent CEA in various modifications. Based on the classification of surgical risk CEA proposed by Sundt TM, patients were divided into 4 groups. In the following analysis, we evaluated perioperative outcomes of surgical treatment in the third and fourth groups, respectively, compared the frequency of the installation of temporary intraluminal shunt (TIS) during the surgery, depending on the severity of angiographic risk factors and neurological anamnesis. Perioperative ischemic complications in the third group was 4.2%, 6.4% in the fourth respectively. In both groups, TIS required in 15% of operations. In patients undergoing surgery under regional anesthesia, shunts were used two times less frequently than in patients under general anesthesia (8.8% vs. 19.8%). Correlation between the severity of angiographic risk factors and tolerance to hypoperfusion of the brain, caused by a temporary clamping of the ICA revealed. In case occlusion of the contralateral ICA temporary shunts have been installed in 40%, with contralateral stenosis in 15% and without angiographic and risk factors in 8% of cases. The findings coincide with the results of similar studies published in the literature. Taking into account our and foreign data should be noted that CEA in patients with high surgical risk by Sundt is accompanied by an increased incidence of perioperative ischemic complications and requires more differentiated approach to the tactics of surgical treatment, and choice of the method of neurophysiological monitoring during surgery.