A safe approach to carotid endarterectomy.
One hundred twenty-four patients had 155 carotid endarterectomies for the relief of stroke symptoms. General hypercarbia anesthesia and arterial pco2 monitoring were used, without resort to internal bypass shunt or hypothermia. Significant permanent post-operative complications developed in three patients (1.9 percent) and there were two postoperative deaths, one of which was caused by a massive myocardial infarction.