Do standard carotid artery endarterectomy and primary closure technique cause early restenosis in diabetic patients?

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to investigate carotid restenosis in 2-year follow-up in diabetic and nondiabetic patients who underwent standard carotid endarterectomy with primary carotid closure and determine whether diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for early stenosis for this surgical procedure.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively assessed the data of patients who underwent standard carotid endarterectomy with primary carotid closure from the hospital registry and outpatient clinic follow-up between January 2006 and January 2012. The study included 25 diabetics and 25 nondiabetics, in total 50 patients. The control carotid Doppler ultrasonographies and/or computed tomography angiographies of the patients at postoperative 1, 6, 12, and 24 months were examined and a stenosis rate between 70% and 99% was regarded as significant carotid restenosis.

RESULTS

When the diabetic and nondiabetic group patients were compared for early carotid restenosis at 2 years, there were 3 (12%) patients in the diabetic group and 4 (16%) patients in the nondiabetic group with restenosis. A statistically significant difference in early carotid restenosis was not observed between the two groups ( > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Standard carotid endarterectomy and primary closure of the artery is a successfully performed surgical procedure in diabetic patients. We concluded that diabetes mellitus is not a risk factor for early restenosis in the diabetic patient population according to the results of our research.