title: Female sex does not influence 30-day stroke and mortality rates after carotid endarterectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sex-based differences in outcomes for the treatment of carotid arterial disease remains a controversial topic. The main objective of this study was to determine if gender differences influence 30-day stroke and mortality rates after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in a large series of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of all patients undergoing endarterectomy performed by a single surgeon between January 1, 1993 and December 15, 2010. The analysis included data from 1,046 CEAs (683 men and 363 women).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences found in 30-day stroke, death, or combined stroke and death rates between women and men. The 30-day stroke rate was 1.6% for women and 1.8% for men (P = 0.98), with no significant differences between asymptomatic patients (1.7% for women vs. 1.2% for men; P = 0.70) or symptomatic patients (1.6% for women vs. 2.1% for men; P = 0.74). The 30-day mortality rate was 0.8% for women and 0.9% for men (P = 0.85) with no significant differences between asymptomatic patients (0.8% for women vs. 1.2% for men; P = 0.77) and symptomatic patients (0.8% for women vs. 0.7% for men; P = 0.84). There was a similar low risk for the combined outcome of stroke and death (1.9% for women vs. 2.2% for men; P = 0.92), with no differences between asymptomatic patients (1.7% for women vs. 1.6% for men; P = 0.89) or symptomatic patients (2.1% for women vs. 2.5% for men; P = 0.84).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female sex does not influence 30-day stroke and mortality rates after CEA, regardless of preoperative symptom status.
authors.affiliation: Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Saint Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; I. H. Asper Clinical Research Institute, Saint Boniface Research Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Electronic address: rguzman@sbgh.mb.ca.
authors.forename: Randolph P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Guzman
authors.affiliation: Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Saint Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; I. H. Asper Clinical Research Institute, Saint Boniface Research Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weighell
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guzman
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Division, V.I. Lenin University Hospital, Holguin, Cuba.
authors.forename: Delfin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Leyva
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003462:Cuba; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome