title: High-risk carotid endarterectomy: fact or fiction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been proposed that patients whose conditions do not meet North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial inclusion criteria or have anatomic risk factors constitute a "high-risk" group for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and might be candidates for primary carotid angioplasty stenting. Our objective was to review a consecutive series of isolated CEAs, identify the number of such patients at high risk, and determine whether their operations were associated with increased complication rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive isolated CEAs performed between June 1996 and June 2001 were reviewed. High-risk comorbidities included: age 80 years or more (n = 80), New York Heart Association class III/IV angina (n = 16), Canadian class III/IV heart failure (n = 4), myocardial infarct 6 months or less (n = 11), steroid-dependent or oxygen-dependent pulmonary disease (n = 4), and creatinine level of 3 or more (n = 13). Anatomic high risk was defined by: contralateral occlusion (n = 66), lesion above C(2) or requirement of digastric division (n = 53), reoperation (n = 29), and neck radiation (n = 3). Statistical analysis was with chi(2) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 788 patients reviewed, 228 (29%) were classified as high risk by one or more of the previous criteria (63% comorbidity, 28% anatomy, 9% both). Presence of preoperative neurologic symptoms and postoperative results were similar across all patient groups. The total stroke and death rate was 1.1% for all the patients. Six patients had postoperative strokes (0.8%), and three patients died of myocardial infarcts (0.4%). The stroke and death rate was 1.3% in the high-risk group as compared with 1.1% in the normal-risk group (P =.51).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The concept of the high-risk CEA must be critically reexamined. Although 29% of patients for CEA were high risk as defined by others, we found no evidence that this influenced the results after CEA. Patients with significant medical comorbidities, contralateral carotid occlusion, and high carotid lesions can undergo operation without increased complications. If a high-risk group exists, it is small and restricted to reoperation or radiated neck (4% in this series). With this possible exception, carotid angioplasty stenting should be restricted to randomized clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, SUNY Stony Brook University Hospital, USA. agasparis_md@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Antonios P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Gasparis
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ricotta
authors.forename: Salvador A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cuadra
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Char
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Purtill
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Van Bemmelen
authors.forename: George L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hines
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giron
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ricotta
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000150:complications; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine