Objective: To evaluate the results of combined surgery (carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting) in patients with concomitant carotid and coronary artery disease.
Methods: The authors reviewed 49 different reports describing several aspects of the combined surgery in 4788 patients to analyze early events in the perioperative period.
Results: Overall stroke, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and mortality rates were 4.3%, 2.2%, and 4.2%, respectively. Most recent papers (1990 to 2000) show significant lower incidence of strokes compared to those published earlier (1972 to 1989) (4.1% x 10.2%; p < 0.05). In this same survey, the incidence of postoperative stroke was higher in the series with a small sample (n < 50) than in those with a larger population (n > 100) (7.2% x 3.9%; p < 0.05), denoting the impact of surgeons' experience on postoperative results.
Conclusion: In sum, we believe that combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting is a safe and effective procedure when performed by experienced and qualified surgeons.