Urgent carotid surgery for high risk patients

Carotid surgery was performed urgently on 22 occasions out of 300 (7%). Of 15 patients with progressing stroke, in all, progression of stroke was arrested. Six patients recovered virtually completely and eight had improving neurological deficit after surgery, i.e. 14 of 15 (93%) benefitted. The other patient had arrest of stroke for a week and then suffered ipsilateral stroke. Of the seven patients operated upon for crescendo transient ischaemic attacks, five had no deficit after surgery or further attacks. The sixth patient had no further attacks but was found to have a tiny, neurological deficit. In these six patients (87%), surgery was greatly beneficial. The remaining patient had a fatal stroke following operation.