Early carotid endarterectomy after stroke

The authors sought to determine if patients with stroke and a high-grade ca rotid stenosis benefited from a delay before carotid endarterectomy. A retr ospective study of 45 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy after stro ke is presented. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (early group, n = 20), composed of patients who had carotid endarterectomy less th an 6 weeks after stroke. and group II (late group, n = 25). comprised of pa tients who had carotid endarterectomy more than 6 weeks after stroke. As as sessed by cerebral angiography, 100% of patients in group I and 64% of pati ents in group II had carotid artery stenoses > 76% (P < 0.001). The median interval from stroke to carotid endarterectomy was 14 days in group I and 1 29 days in group II. There was no mortality in either group. No patients in either group demonstrated any neurological deterioration. The authors conc lude that, in select patients, carotid endarterectomy may be done safely le ss than 6 weeks after stroke in order to avoid new events or carotid occlus ion while awaiting surgery. (C) 2000 The International Society for Cardiova scular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.