Reanalysis of Factors Predicting Recurrent Stenosis in a Prospective Randomized Trial of Carotid Endarterectomy Comparing Primary Closure and Patch Closure

Abstract

Several factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of recurrent carotid stenosis after carotid endarterectomy. This study examines the factors that predict recurrent stenosis in a prospective randomized trial of carotid endarterectomy comparing primary closure and patch closure. Patients undergoing 399 carotid endarterectomies were randomized into primary closures (n=135), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) patch closures (n=134), and vein patch closures (n=130). Postoperative duplex ultrasounds were done at 1, 6, and 12 months, and then yearly. The mean follow-up was 41 months. Univariate analyses of potential risk factors were examined for possible association with ≥50% recurrent stenosis, and factors most associated with recurrent stenosis were examined by multivariate analyses using multiple linear regression. Primary closure had a higher incidence of recurrent stenosis (37%) than vein patch closure (13%) and PTFE patch closure (3%, p<0.001). Women with primary closure had a higher incidence of recurrent stenosis than men (49% versus 26%, p=0.008). With use of multiple linear regression models, the occurrence of ≥50% stenosis and increasing degrees of stenosis were associated most strongly with primary closure (p<0.001) and female gender (p=0.007). Carotid artery diameter, patch closure, age, coronary artery disease, or atherosclerosis risk factors (smoking, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus) were not significantly associated with recurrent stenosis. Female gender and primary closure after carotid endarterectomy were the two factors most strongly associated with recurrence.

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