Abstract
Bovine pericardium was compared to great saphenous vein patch angioplasty regarding the neurologic events after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with or without concomitant cardiac surgery (CS). From January 1996 to December 2007, 599 patients undergoing CEA (259 with concomitant CS) were enrolled; 456 patients were treated with the great saphenous vein (GSV group) and 143 were treated with bovine pericardium (BP group). Neurologic outcome and Rankin score (RS) were recorded after 24 hours and 30 days. We found comparable rates of neurologic complications (transient ischemic attack, stroke) between the two groups. Thirty-day mortality was 4% (17 of 456 patients) in the GSV group and 0% in the BP group (p = .12). None of the patients died as a consequence of a fatal stroke. Preoperative RS was a prognostic factor for postoperative neurologic deterioration (p = .001). Early neurologic outcome was comparable for the two types of patch material. Preoperative RS predicted postoperative neurologic deterioration.
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