Carotid endarterectomy and myocardial revascularization. A single stage procedure.

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and myocardial revascularization can be performed in a single procedure, performing CEA before or during cardio-pulmonary by-pass (CPB), or using a double stage approach. Over a 4 year period, 17 patients underwent CEA and coronary artery by-pass (CAB) with a single stage procedure. Fourteen patients (82.3%) were male, 3 (17.6%) were female. The mean age was 66.3 +/- 7.07. One patient (5.8%) had a previous neurological event (stroke); 5 patients (29.4%) had a previous transient ischemic attacks (TIA). The indications for the combined operations were CAD associated to unilateral internal carotid stenosis greater than 70% or 50% when symptomatic. In all patients CEA was performed after median sternotomy and heparinization, during CPB, with moderate hypotermia (30%C), performing CEA successively. One patient (5.8%) died of acute heart failure secondary to mediastinits. Minor neurological complications were present in 2 patients (11.7%) with signs of cerebral oedema. Myocardial infarction and late neurological deficit did not occur in any patient. We conclude that it is important, in the preoperative assessment of every patients with CAD, the screening for concomitant carotid vascular diseases, in order to avoid neurological complications during CPB, treating the two different diseases with a single stage approach, if carotid stenosis is greater than 70% or greater than 50% when symptomatic.