Carotid endarterectomy: A safe cost-efficient approach

The diagnosis-related groups have encouraged physicians to become more efficient in the care of their patients; often, however, raising the question of safety. For 3 years all patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy at our institution were monitored in the intensive care unit for 24 hours and the majority were discharged on the second postoperative day. After review of these patient's hospital records and direct patient interviews, it was clear that many patients did not require a stay in the intensive care unit and could be discharged on the first postoperative day. In January 1991 a prospective policy was established to evaluate the safety and efficacy of outpatient arteriography, same-day admission, selective use of the intensive care unit, and early discharge on the first postoperative day when feasible. During a 10-month period all patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy at our institution were evaluated (n = 52). Eleven patients had had a prior stroke (21%), 31 had either amaurosis fugax or transient ischemic attacks (60%), and 10 had no symptoms (19%). The arteriogram for 49 of the patients was obtained on an outpatient basis or during a prior admission, and these patients were admitted to the hospital on the day of operation. Nine patients were placed under general anesthesia and had shunting procedures, and 43 patients had cervical block anesthesia, eight of whom had shunting (19%). Only five patients required an intensive care unit stay for either hypertension, hypotension, or neurologic complication (one transient ischemic attack and one minor stroke). Forty-six patients (88%) were discharged on the first postoperative day; average length of stay was 1.29 days/patient. All patients were seen 3 to 5 days after discharge. There were no readmissions for hypertension, hemorrhage, or cardiac or neurologic events. There was no 30-day mortality. The hospital charge was more than $1900 below the reimbursement for the diagnosis-related group on average. From this series it is concluded that with this protocol, a short stay with selective use of the intensive care unit is safe and cost-effective for patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy.