CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY IN A VASCULAR FELLOWSHIP TRAINING-PROGRAM - GOOD RESULTS WITH A CONSISTENT TECHNIQUE

Objective: To find out whether carotid endarterectomy performed by sen ior residents or vascular fellows in a vascular fellowship program wit h a uniform technical approach can give results equal to or better tha n the acceptable standard. Design: A case study with follow-up ranging from 121 to 1369 days. Setting: A university teaching hospital. Patie nts: Two hundred and one consecutive patients operated on between May 1989 and June 1993. Interventions: Isolated carotid endarterectomy. Ma in Outcome Measures: Neurologic findings, cardiovascular complications and local wound problems after carotid endarterectomy. Results: There were no deaths, one permanent stroke and two significant deficits fro m which the patients fully recovered. Conclusions: Carotid endarterect omy can be performed by senior surgical residents and vascular fellows within a vascular fellowship program, with a perioperative stroke and death rate of less than 1% when a uniform approach is used.