title: Carotid endarterectomy with regional anesthesia.
abstract: The senior author (REH) has changed his technique for performing carotid endarterectomy from the use of general anesthesia to the use of cervical block anesthesia. Because a randomized study was not performed, it is difficult to separate effects of increased surgical experience from those caused by a change in anesthetic regimen. Nonetheless, there has been a substantial decrease in complications, length of hospital stay, and costs concomitant with the change to regional anesthesia; we think there is a causal relationship. The use of cervical block anesthesia has practically eliminated the non-stroke-related complications associated with carotid endarterectomy in our practice. The technique for performing carotid endarterectomy under cervical block anesthesia is described in detail.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurosurgery, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA. robert.e.harbaugh@hitchcock.org
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Harbaugh
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Pikus
mesh_terms: D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000379:methods*; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block / Q000379:methods; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000379:methods*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D009333:Neck; D011182:Postoperative Care; D014743:Videotape Recording