Experience with barbiturate therapy for cerebral protection during carotid endarterectomy.

Carotid endarterectomy was performed 28 times in 27 patients. All but one patient had symptomatic carotid artery disease, 59% had bilateral disease and 59% had associated intracranial disease. Barbiturate therapy was used as a means of cerebral protection during carotid artery cross-clamping. Neurological deficit occurred in two patients, being permanent in one patient (3.5%); both patients had bilateral carotid and intracranial disease and both had carotid stump pressures greater than 55 mmHg. No morbidity could be attributed to barbiturate usage.