[Early postoperative complications in carotid surgery]

Carotid endarterectomy has a documented stroke preventing effect in symptomatic high-grade carotid stenosis when the rate of serious complications is below 6%. In the period 1986-96, 160 procedures were performed on 150 patients at the Department of Neurosurgery, Ullevål Hospital. Oslo. The indication for surgery was hemispheric transient ischemic attack and/or amaurosis fugax in 137 patients and/or minor stroke in 49 in addition to a high-grade stenosis. Mean age was 61 years (42-74 years). One patient (0.6%) died four hours after surgery. Three patients (1.9%) suffered disabling postoperative stroke. The rate of serious complications was thus 2.5%. In addition, nine patients experienced minor and temporary paresis. Three patients were reoperated for haematoma and one for wound infection. Our surgical morbidity and mortality rate is comparable to larger series.