Guidelines for the use of carotid endarterectomy: current recommendations from the Canadian Neurosurgical Society

Abstract

Objective: To develop guidelines on the suitability of patients for carotid endarterectomy (CEA).

Options: For atherosclerotic carotid stenosis that has resulted in retinal or cerebral ischemia: antiplatelet drugs or CEA. For asymptomatic carotid stenosis: CEA or no surgery.

Outcomes: Risk of stroke and death.

Evidence: Trials comparing CEA with nonsurgical management of carotid stenosis.

Values: Greatest weight was given to findings that were highly significant both statistically and clinically.

Benefits, harms and costs: Benefit: reduction in the risk of stroke. Major harms: iatrogenic stroke, cardiac complications and death secondary to surgical manipulations of the artery or the systemic stress of surgery. Costs were not considered.

Recommendations: CEA is clearly recommended for patients with surgically accessible internal carotid artery (ICA) stenoses equal to or greater than 70% of the more distal, normal ICA lumen diameter, providing: (1) the stenosis is symptomatic, causing transient ischemic attacks or nondisabling stroke (including retinal infarction); (2) there is no worse distal, ipsilateral, carotid distribution arterial disease; (3) the patient is in stable medical condition; and (4) the rates of major surgical complications (stroke and death) among patients of the treating surgeon are less than 6%. Surgery is not recommended for asymptomatic stenoses of less than 60%. Symptomatic stenoses of less than 70% and asymptomatic stenoses of greater than 60% are uncertain indications. For these indications, consideration should be given to (1) patient presentation, age and medical condition; (2) plaque characteristics such as degree of narrowing, the presence of ulceration and any documented worsening of the plaque over time; (3) other cerebral arterial stenoses or occlusions, or cerebral infarcts identified through neuroimaging; and (4) surgical complication rates at the institution. CEA should not be considered for asymptomatic stenoses unless the combined stroke and death rate among patients of the surgeon is less than 3%.

Validation: These guidelines generally agree with position statements prepared by other organizations in recent years, and with a January 1995 consensus statement by a group of experts assembled by the American Heart Association.