Short-stay carotid endarterectomy in a tertiary-care Veterans Administration hospital

Background This study focused on 200 carotid endarterectomies (CEA) performed at our Veterans Administration Hospital (VAH) to determine whether 1-day hospitalization after CEA is safe and the degree to which it can be achieved. Methods Over 36 months, 200 CEAs were performed for asymptomatic stenosis (n = 104), transient ischemic attacks (n = 68), and stroke (n = 28). General anesthesia was used in 189 procedures. Results The hospital stay was 1 day for 132 procedures and more than 1 day in 68 CEAs. The average stay was 1.69 ± 1.5 days. After surgery there were 3 strokes, 5 hematomas that required evacuation, and 5 myocardial infarctions. There were no deaths. Four patients were readmitted in the 1-day and the greater than 1-day stay groups. History of myocardial infarction, renal insufficiency, longer operative time, and complications correlated with a greater than 1-day stay (P <0.05). Conclusion A 1-day hospital stay is safe and practical in a VAH setting, resulting in good clinical outcomes.