[Should heart surgery and thromboendarterectomy of the carotid artery be done simultaneously?]

The management of patients with coexisting severe carotid and coronary artery disease continues to be controversial. To evaluate the actual risks we have reviewed our experience of 92 patients that underwent simultaneous cardiac surgery and carotid thrombendarterectomy (TEA) over a 10 year period. The mean age was 65 +/- 7 year (41-80), 75% were men. There were 11 REDO cardiac procedures. There were 15 symptomatic and 77 asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis, including 21 with bilateral carotid disease. Mean preop.LVEF was 57.4% (15-80%). Carotid TEA was performed under hypothermia (26 degrees C), preferably with beating heart after an equilibration period of 10 min. The overall mortality was 5.4% (5 patients). 4 of the deaths were reoperative cardiac surgery. Non-fatal myocardial infarction occurred in 1 patient. Postop. neurological complications were diagnosed in 7 patients (8%), 3 transient and 4 permanent neurological deficits occurred. 33 patients had no post-operative complications at all and 25 patients had as only complication, transient arrhythmia. Follow-up revealed a 5-year survival rate of 83% and a cardiac event-free survival of 70%, without neurological events. We therefore conclude that simultaneous carotid TEA and cardiac surgery can be performed using controlled hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (26 degrees C), in experienced hands, with an acceptable mortality (5.4%) and low morbidity. Carotid TEA combined with two or more cardiac procedures has the highest mortality and morbidity and should be avoided.