Stroke and Mortality Rate in Carotid Endarterectomy:

MARY A retrospective study of 228 consecutive carotid endctomies was conducted to determine the operative stroke and lity rate in two 600-bed community hospitals. The combined -mortality rate for the series was 21.1% (48 of 228). Eleven :erectomies were performed for asymptomatic bruits and the ned stroke-mortality rate was 18.2% (2 of 11). Fifty-seven endctomies were performed for transient ischemic attack(s) in the omatic carotid artery distribution and the combined strokelity rate was 21.1% (12 of 57). Seventy-one endarterectomies terformed following a mild-moderate stroke in the symptomatic d artery distribution and the combined stroke-mortality rate was 21.1% (15 of 71). Twelve endarterectomies were performed following a severe stroke in the symptomatic carotid artery distribution and the combined stroke-mortality rate was 41.7% (5 of 12). There was no trend toward more or less operative strokes or deaths from 1970 to 1976. The similarity of results among the eleven board-certified neurological and vascular surgeons who performed the 228 endarterectomies suggests that the operative stroke and mortality rates for carotid endarterectomy reported here are likely to be representative of those in many other community hospitals in this country in the 1970s.