Safe and cost-effective approach to carotid surgery

To evaluate the safety and cost effectiveness of carotid surgery performed altering the perioperative protocol in an attempt to decrease resource utilisation.

Department of vascular surgery in a large metropolitan teaching hospital in northern Italy.

Prospective, non-selective study.

Three hundred and eighty carotid procedures were performed in 1995 on 343 patients (274 males, 69 females, mean age 68.2 years, range 47-86 years). The most important cost containment measures, were: (i) limiting the use of contrast arteriography to cases of dubious ultrasonographic diagnosis; (ii) routine use of loco-regional anaesthesia; (iii) postoperative admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) only in selected cases; (iv) early postoperative discharge where possible.

Mortality was 0.26% and neurological morbidity 1.58%. General anaesthesia was required in eight patients (2.1%), and only seven patients (1.8%) were admitted postoperatively to the ICU. Arteriography was performed in 56 cases (14.7%). The average hospital stay was 5 days with a global cost of 43,036 ECU, as compared with a cost of 6764 ECU for patients treated traditionally with routine arteriography, general anaesthesia and routine ICU admission.

Selective use of arteriography and ICU, routine use of loco-regional anaesthesia and reduced hospital stay make it possible to lower the cost of carotid surgery without sacrificing quality.