What influences the standards of "quality" of carotid endarterectomy?

Abstract

This paper analyzes the short-term results of 463 consecutive primary reconstructive operations on the carotid bifurcation based on the standards of "quality". In 383 (82.7%) cases, the patients were operated on for stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA); 60 (13%) patients had combination of stenosis and kingking of the ICA and 20 (4.3%) presented with isolated kinking of the ICA. Classic open carotid endarterectomy (CEAE) was performed in 240 cases, eversion CEAE in 144, resection with ICA redressment in 45, and ICA grafting in 28 cases. The perioperative lethality accounted for 1.54% (7 cases), per 463 operations, with the standard of "quality" being equal to 2%. Myocardial infarction was the cause of death in 5 cases, one patient developed homolateral stroke which eventuated in lethal outcome, and one more patient developed lethal stroke in the contralateral hemisphere. The incidence of homolateral strokes which did not eventuate in lethal outcome accounted for 1.94% (9 cases). The indicator "stroke plus lethality from stroke" in the general patient group was 2.38% which is even lower versus the standard of "quality" for asymptomatic patients and constitutes 3%. Among asymptomatic patients proper, the indicator "stroke plus lethality from stroke" was equal to 0, among TIA patients to 0 at a 5% standard, and in patients with initial stroke, initial stroke, it amounted to 3.19% at a 7% standard. Perioperative strokes were not recorded in patients with ICA kingking or at ICA grafting. The basic factor of the risk of perioperative neurologic deficit was a history of stroke. Patients with different stages of cerebrovascular insufficiency did not significantly differ as regards age, sex distribution, the presence of CAD, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, the degree of stenosis of the operated ICA and the time of its clamping at operation. Patients with a history of strokes differed significantly from the general group only in the incidence of lesion of the contralateral ICA and in the frequency of the use of internal shunt. Analysis of the risk factors of perioperative stroke in patients with a history of strokes has shown that they were diabetes mellitus and the use of internal shunt. The development of perioperative stroke among patients with a history of stroke was not influenced by the incidence of contralateral ICA lesion, the standing of cerebral circulatory distress or the size of an ischemic focus. The initial character of ICA lesion and the type of reconstruction did not affect the origin of perioperative focal deficits or lethality.