Outcome of carotid endarterectomy performed at a community medical center.

From 1990 to 1992 there was a 43% increase in the number of carotid endarterectomies (CEAs) performed at our institution. Not coincidentally the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial study was published in August 1991. To determine whether CEAs could be performed safely at community medical centers, records of 181 consecutive CEAs performed during a 30-month period at a suburban community medical center were reviewed. CEAs were performed by 14 surgeons: six vascular, three thoracic, and five general surgeons. Among all patients 87% had lesions with > or = 70% stenosis. Seventy percent of CEAs were performed on symptomatic patients, 84% of whom had stenoses > or = 70%. Among asymptomatic patients 96% had stenoses > or = 70%. There were five instances of neurologic complications in the perioperative period--two transient ischemic attacks, two reversible ischemic neurologic deficits, and one permanent neurologic deficit. One patient died. The mortality rate was 0.6%, the combined major stroke/mortality rate was 1.2%, and the any stroke/mortality rate was 2.2%. There were five patients with nonfatal major complications--one with myocardial infarction, one with pulmonary edema, one with congestive heart failure, and two with postoperative arrhythmia. Thirteen minor complications included eight cases of cranial nerve dysfunction. These data demonstrate that CEAs can be performed safely at community medical centers.