CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA, vol.32, no.3, pp.129-132, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a prophylactic operation that is used to mitigate the risk of stroke caused by embolism of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid bifurcation. Previously, the large, multicentre, randomised, controlled GALA study found no significant differences in clinical outcomes between patients treated using general or local anaesthesia. While this study provided important insights into disease outcomes based on treatment modalities, it did not answer questions regarding the safety of CEA under local anaesthesia in patients at high risk for cardiovascular complications. Here, we examined the use of two different management plans in patients requiring both carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), in terms of their effects on hospital mortality.