Carotid Endarterectomy Risks Can Be Reliably Identified to Rule Out the Procedure: Presented at ANA
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
By: Roberta Friedman, PhD

Doctor's Guide

Patients suspected to be at risk of complications for carotid endarterectomy (CAE) in fact show a higher rate of adverse events after surgery, with coronary artery disease as the primary predictor of complications, according to a study reported here at the 135th Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA).

The study reflected the risks when suspect patients go on to have the procedure carried out.

As the rates of CAE rise in Korea, the risks are becoming evident, said Sung Hyuk Heo, MD, PhD, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, who presented the poster here on September 13. "Carotid endarterectomy can decrease stroke risk in selected patients," said Dr. Heo. The procedure is becoming more frequent in Asian countries.

The Stenting and Angioplasty With Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy (SAPPHIRE) trial identified factors that put a patient at risk for complications with CAE: significant cardiac disease, severe pulmonary disease, contralateral carotid occlusion, contralateral laryngeal nerve palsy, previous radical neck surgery or radiation, tracheostomy, recurrent carotid stenosis, or age of 80 years or more.

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