Influence of internal carotid endarterectomy on patients' life quality
Piotr Kaźmierski1, Anna Kasielska, Katarzyna Bogusiak
1Department of Vascular, General and Oncologic Surgery, Memorial Copernicus Hospital, Łódź.
Insights
Carotid endarterectomy significantly reduces neurological symptoms and stroke risk. One year post-surgery, patients report improved quality of life due to symptom regression.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Surgery
- Public Health
Background:
- Symptomatic carotid artery stenosis poses a significant risk for ischemic cerebral strokes.
- Carotid endarterectomy is a primary surgical intervention for this condition.
- Effective treatment can mitigate stroke risk and neurological deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of carotid endarterectomy on neurological symptoms.
- To assess changes in patients' quality of life following the procedure.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 102 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy was studied.
- Patients completed a questionnaire detailing neurological symptoms and life quality before and one year after surgery.
- Symptoms assessed included vertigo, headaches, hemiparesis, numbness, syncope, diplopia, tinnitus, concentration disturbances, and aphasia.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in vertigo, headaches, syncopies, and aphasia were observed post-surgery.
- Incidence of cerebral stroke and amaurosis fugax decreased significantly.
- Mean patient-reported quality of life scores improved from 3.9 to 6.3 on a 10-point scale.
Conclusions:
- Carotid endarterectomy leads to improved quality of life one year after the procedure.
- Neurological symptom regression and prevention of new symptoms contribute to this improvement.
- The surgery plays a crucial preventive role in managing carotid artery stenosis.
Unlabelled:
Appropriate treatment of symptomatic carotid artery stenosis can reduce ischemic cerebral strokes' risk and in some cases eliminate neurological symptoms. Endarterectomy is the most common surgical treatment. The aim of the study was to examine the influence of carotid endarterectomy on neurological symptoms and patients' life quality.
Material And Methods:
The material comprised of 102 patients who underwent endarterectomy. All of the patients were given a questionnaire with a list of neurological symptoms (vertigos, headaches, left hemiparesis, right hemiparesis, numbness, acroparaesthesia, single syncope, recurrent syncopies, diplopia, tinnitus, concentration disturbances and aphasia) and with a numerical life quality scale to fill in before and a year after the surgery.
Results:
Vertigo, headache, single and recurrent syncopies and aphasia as well as cerebral stroke and amaurosis fugax were significantly more rarely observed after endarterectomy. The mean value of patients' life quality evaluated on a 10-point Likert scale after the surgery increased (3.9 vs 6.3).
Conclusions:
A year after carotid endarterectomy patients' life quality improves which is connected with neurological symptoms' regression and no further symptoms' occurrence due to a preventive role of the surgery.
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