Risk factors for cranial nerve injury after carotid endarterectomy.
BACKGROUND
Although numerous studies have described the incidence of postoperative cranial nerve injury (CNI) after carotid endarterectomy (CEA), there have been few attempts to identify risk factors for this complication.


METHODS
The 2012 CEA-targeted American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to determine the incidence of CNI after CEA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of CNI after CEA, using a comprehensive array of patient-, carotid disease-, and procedure-related factors as potential predictor variables.


RESULTS
Of the 3762 CEA patients who were included in our analysis, 84 (2.2%) were noted to have sustained CNI in the first 30 days after their operation. Independent predictors of this complication included age ≥80 years (reference group, <70 years; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] for CNI, 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-3.03; P = .05), presence of a preoperative bleeding disorder (including patients in whom preoperative nonaspirin anticoagulation therapy was not stopped before CEA; AOR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.03-2.68; P = .04), duration of operation (AOR, 1.15 for each 30-minute interval beyond an operative time of 90 minutes; 95% CI, 1.06-1.25; P = .001), and need for reoperation (AOR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.03-6.80; P = .04).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates clinically evident CNI to be a relatively uncommon event after CEA at institutions that participate in the CEA-targeted American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and identifies four separate factors that are independently associated with an increased risk of CNI.
Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Electronic address: benne051@mc.duke.edu.
Kyla M
KM
Bennett
Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.
John E
JE
Scarborough
Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.
Cynthia K
CK
Shortell
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020209:Cranial Nerve Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016208:Databases, Factual; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology