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Perioperative complications — especially stroke or death — are key considerations when patients consider carotid endarterectomy. In this study, researchers used a national surgical database to determine rates and predictors of postoperative stroke and death among 3845 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy at 78 U.S. medical centers in 2012. Carotid stenosis was symptomatic in 42% of patients and asymptomatic in 58%.
The 30-day incidence of postoperative stroke or death was 3% overall — 4.6% in patients with symptomatic stenosis and 1.9% in those with asymptomatic stenosis. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of stroke or death among symptomatic patients were emergency surgery, contralateral carotid stenosis of 80% to 99%…