Gender and carotid endarterectomy: does it matter?
OBJECTIVE
Multiple large series have retrospectively identified female gender as a risk factor for perioperative stroke and death after carotid endarterectomy (CEA).


METHODS
Data for all patients who underwent CEA at a single institution from January 1990 to December 1998 were entered into a computerized vascular registry and form the basis of this report.


RESULTS
A total of 1298 CEA procedures were performed, of which 520 (40%) were in women and 778 (60%) in men. The mean age was 69.8 +/- 8.7 years for men and 71.2 +/- 8.5 years for women (P <.001). Cardiac risk factors significantly varied among the two groups, with women more likely to have diabetes (42% vs 36%) and hypertension (77% vs 66%), whereas tobacco history was higher among men (85% vs 71%) (P <.05 for all). Female patients were more likely to be asymptomatic at presentation (men, 44% vs women, 51%; P =.022). Postoperative myocardial infarction occurred in eight patients (0.6%) with no differences between men (0.4%) and women (1.0%) (P = not significant). For all adverse postoperative cardiac events (myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, or arrhythmia), the incidence was 1.9% (25 patients), again with no differences between men (1.5%) and women (2. 5%) (P = not significant). There were 25 postoperative neurologic events (19 strokes, six transient ischemic attacks) among the entire cohort (1.9%), of which 16 were in men (2.1%) and nine in women (1. 6%; P = not significant). The overall postoperative stroke rate was 1.5% (13 [1.7%] of 778 men; 6 [1.2%;] of 520 women; P = not significant). Total operative mortality was 0.3% (3 [0.4%] of 778 men; 1 [0.2%] of 778 women; P = not significant). Late recurrent stenosis requiring operation developed in 14 patients (1.1%) during follow-up (6 [0.8%] of 778 men; 8 [1.5%] of 520 women; P =.19).


CONCLUSIONS
Although there is significant variability in cardiac risk factors and presentation, female gender is not a risk factor for stroke, death, or cardiac morbidity after CEA. Women are not at higher risk for reoperation for recurrent stenosis.
Akbari
C M
CM
Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Pulling
M C
MC
Pomposelli
F B
FB
Gibbons
G W
GW
Campbell
D R
DR
Logerfo
F W
FW
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000209:etiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D015994:Incidence; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012042:Registries; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology; D015996:Survival Rate