Surgical experience with simultaneous bilateral carotid endarterectomies.

Eighty patients who had undergone bilateral carotid endarterectomy at the same operation were reviewed. All operative procedures were performed under general anaesthesia and during systemic heparinization and in all but six cases by using internal shunt. There were three deaths related to the operation representing 3.8% hospital mortality. Transient neurological deficits were noted in four patients (5% incidence) and permanent neurological deficits in four patients (also 5% incidence). A 100% late follow-up after an average period of 48 months revealed that 85.7% of the long-term survivors were functionally normal or improved. There were ten late deaths with heart disease accounting for 50% and stroke 30%.