General or Local Anesthesia for Carotid Endarterectomy—The “Real-World” Experience

Abstract

Perioperative complications from carotid endarterectomy (CEA) are the main drawbacks of the procedure. The aim of this study was to assess the complication rates in patients undergoing CEA under general anesthesia (GA) or regional anesthesia (local anesthesia [LA]) at our institution. Patients undergoing CEA at our regional vascular unit between 2000 and 2004 were included. Data were collated retrospectively from a prospective database. Follow-up was up to 62 months. In all, 383 endarterectomies were performed, 260 of which were under LA. Outcome measures included 30-day death (2.1%), stroke (1.8%), and combined stroke and death (2.8%). A 30-day incidence of stroke, death, and combined stroke and death was lower in the LA group. Incidence of myocardial infarction and transient ischemic attacks, and annual mortality were higher in the LA group. No significant difference was found between the 2 groups. In a unit where CEA is preferentially performed under LA, anesthesia technique failed to significantly influence outcome.