Timing of Carotid Endarterectomy: Perioperative Outcome According to Index Event to Operation Room Time

Abstract

Aim: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the choice of treatment for prevention of cerebrovascular events in vulnerable patients. In this single-center multi surgeon study, we aimed to evaluate outcomes of neurologically stable patients who underwent CEA after symptoms of cerebrovascular event according to time between the event and operation. Methods: In our clinic during 2008-2012, we applied 67 CEA to 65 patients. Ten of these 65 patients excluded from trial due to combined CABG operation. 18 patients were asymptomatic prior to operation and excluded. Thirty-nine of these patients were symptomatic and enrolled to study. Data were collected retrospectively. All enrolled patients were divided into two groups, according to the time between event and operation. Group I: Early Group (≤14 days). Group II: Late Group (>14 days). Results: In our clinic during 2008-2012, we applied 39 CEA procedures to consecutive 37 patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. None of preoperative variables were associated with postoperative mortality (p > 0.05). We observed postoperative bleeding in one patient who was in Late Group (II). Postoperative bleeding was only associated with hyperlipidemia (p = 0.003). Postoperative stroke was observed in moderate cardiac risk patients in Early Group (I) (p = 0.003). But none of the postoperative complications were associated with study groups. We observed that, closure technique (primary closure) was associated with postoperative stroke (p = 0.030). We have achieved shorter waiting time during study time phrase but it couldn’t reached statistical significance (p = 0.196). Conclusion: Although symptomatic patients have a higher risk of perioperative complications compared with asymptomatic patients, early CEA after symptom onset does not influence the results. This raises the question of the optimal timing of Carotid Artery intervention in symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. To answer this question, more data are needed preferably from large randomized trials.