Comparison Between Local and General Anesthesia for Carotid Endarterectomy: Early and Late Results

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the results between general and local anesthesia (LA) for carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Methods: Three hundred and twenty-nine patients in whom 365 CEA procedures were performed between January 1990 and September 2001, were included in this study. Results: Operation time, shunt usage rates, hospitalization time ( P < .0001), and permanent stroke rates ( P < .05) were significantly lower in group with LA. For long-term period (121.3 ± 37.45 vs 98.6 ± 28.98 months), no significant difference was observed in these 2 group with respect to restenosis rates, neurological events, and deaths. Conclusions: Despite the lack of significant difference between LA and general anesthesia in terms of restenosis, neurological events, and death in the long-term period; LA is more preferable due its associated advantages including availability of testing the consciousness of the patients by direct contact, reduced use of shunts, shorter hospitalization periods, and less prevalence of permanent stroke in the short-term period.