Results and future of carotid endarterectomy in a medium-sized Finnish central hospital.
OBJECTIVE
Carotid endarterectomies (CEA) should, by general agreement, be performed only at specialised institutions and on patients who are expected to have a low rate of complications, i.e., a 6% surgical risk for patients with symptomatic and a 3% risk for patients with asymptomatic carotid artery disease. We have reviewed the midterm results after CEA in a medium-sized Finnish central hospital to audit whether our results fulfil current quality standards.


METHODS
There were 116 consecutively operated patients at the Päijät-Häme Central Hospital during the years 1999-2003 on whom 122 CEAs were made. All CEAs were performed by conventional methods and shunts and patches were used when necessary.


RESULTS
The overall survival rate was 81.0% during the 3.6 +/- 1.5 years [range 1.3-6.3 years] follow-up. The incidence of early major stroke was 2.5% and of late major stroke 1.6%. Other complications included cranial nerve deficit (2.5%), wound haematoma (3.3%) and postoperative hypertension (3.3%) or hypotension (2.5%). Significant changes in medication were needed after surgery in several patient subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of CEA at the Päijät-Häme Central Hospital are at least acceptable. The primary prevention of strokes with pharmacotherapy needs aggressive improvement.
Department of Surgery, Päijät-Häme Central Hospital, Lahti, Finland. janne.jokinen@helsinki.fi
J J
JJ
Jokinen
H M T
HM
Huusari
J Y
JY
Lehtonen
A A
AA
Korpela
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate