
%0 Journal Article
%A Middleton, Sandy 
%A Donnelly, Neil 
%A Harris, John 
%A Lusby, Robert 
%A Ward, Jeanette 
%T Audit of longterm mortality and morbidity outcomes for carotid endarterectomy
%J Australian Health Review
%D 2002/08/01
%V 25
%N 4
%P 81-91
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/AH020081
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/AH020081 
%X There have been no Australian studies of longterm mortality status and cause of death after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or, for survivors, quality-of-life. We first determined rate and cause of death for a cohort of patients four years after CEA. Surviving patients were surveyed to ascertain health status, using MOS SF-36. Of 238 patients who underwent CEA in our health service in 1995, 44 (18.5%) had died within four years. The majority of deaths (61.4%) were attributable to vascular causes. Of the surviving 162 patients (survey response fraction 90%), 10 (6.2%) subsequently had suffered a non-fatal stroke in the four years following their CEA. With respect to health status, Physical Functioning scores differed significantly by age (t=2.65, df=149, P=0.01) as did Role Physical scores (t=2.10, df=142, P=0.04). We conclude that patients undergoing CEA are at high risk of dying from vascular causes, inviting concerted efforts in discharge planning to co-ordinate optimal vascular risk factor management. 
