title: Early morbidity and patterns of survival after carotid endarterectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of operative morbidity and survival patterns after carotid endarterectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital, Norway.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ninety-four carotid endarterectomies done in 165 patients over a 16 year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Long term survival was investigated using the product limit method. Expected survival of a demographically matched population was calculated from death-rate tables. Relative was defined as the ratio of the observed: expected survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combined stroke rate and mortality after 30 days was 5.1%. The estimated weight year survival rate of 73% did not differ from the expected. Relative survival seemed unaffected by the age at the time of the operation, hypertension or bilateral disease. Ischaemic heart disease was present in 69 patients (42%). This group had a mortality rate that was 2.4 times that expected during the first five years after operation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall long term survival of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy seems to be similar to that of the general population. The patients with symptomatic ischaemic heart disease have a significantly lower long term survival than the expected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aune
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Amundsen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trippestad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000601:surgery; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate