Intensive care is cost-effective in carotid endarterectomy.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the utilization, cost profile, and predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) services after carotid endarterectomy. A retrospective medical record review of all patients undergoing isolated carotid endarterectomy by a vascular surgery service at one university hospital during a 12-month period was performed. Eighty-four patients undergoing 91 carotid endarterectomies were identified for review. All carotid endarterectomy patients at the authors' institution were routinely admitted to an ICU postoperatively. Sixty-five of the 91 patients (71.4%) required ICU interventions, the majority of which were intravenous antihypertensive therapy. There were no deaths in the group. There was one non-fatal stroke (1.1%), and one non-fatal myocardial infarction (1.1%). There were three reoperations (3.3%): two for hematoma and one for a change in neurological status. One patient required reintubation. Five of the six major adverse events after carotid endarterectomy occurred within 12 hours postoperatively. No preoperative factors predicted a significant risk for complications following carotid endarterectomy. There is no reliable predictor that carotid endarterectomy patients will require postoperative interventions or develop adverse outcomes. Mandatory intensive care immediately after carotid endarterectomy upholds high safety standards, avoids the uncertainty of preoperative ICU planning, and avoids the high cost of a recovery room stay to determine the need for intensive care. In addition, costs may be further reduced as the ICU length of stay may be decreased if there are no necessary interventions or complications after 12 hours of intensive care.