[Operative treatment of asymptomatic carotid stenosis]

Over a period of five-and-a-half years 183 patients with high-grade asymptomatic carotid stenoses in stage I were operated upon. Postoperative mortality was 0.5%; there was no permanent morbidity. Cumulative survival rate after four years was 68%. The proportion of patients without neurological disorders after five years was nearly 100%. Asymptomatic re-stenoses were found in 6% of patients. Principal cause of death during the follow-up period was of cardiac origin (9 of 17).