Hypothesis: That alternative methods of cerebral protection, especially routine shunting of all patients undergoing general anesthesia or shunting on the basis of neurologic assessment with the patient awake under cervical plexus block, result in outcomes of carotid endarterectomy comparable with those reported using electroencephalographic monitoring.
Design: Retrospective review of cases from a vascular registry established in 1990.
Setting: Tertiary care center.
Patients: Consecutive sample of 1001 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy.
Interventions: Carotid endarterectomy procedures were performed without electroencephalographic monitoring, using general anesthesia with routine shunting or using regional anesthesia.
Main outcome measures: Overall stroke and mortality rates and cause and consequence of the postoperative strokes.
Results: There were 14 nonfatal strokes (1.4%) and 2 deaths (0.2%), for a combined stroke and death rate of 1.6%. Nine (64%) of the 14 strokes appeared to result from a technical error during the endarterectomy. Mild deficits were noted after 7 strokes (50%), with the remainder resulting in deficits that required inpatient rehabilitation. Twelve patients with strokes (86%) eventually returned home without need for assistance.
Conclusions: Most postoperative strokes in this series were due to technical errors. Overall, even in patients with strokes initially requiring inpatient rehabilitation, there was good recovery of function. Low stroke and mortality rates can be achieved in carotid endarterectomy without the use of electroencephalographic monitoring.