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WSU School of Medicine research questions complications rate for carotid artery surgery. 

Dr. Seemant Chaturvedi, associate professor of neurology, to present findings at American Neurological Association meeting Tuesday

The rate of complications associated with carotid endarterectomy, a surgery used to remove plaque from the carotid artery in people who have a high risk of suffering a stroke, may be underestimated, according to a new Wayne State University School of Medicine study.

Dr. Seemant Chaturvedi, WSU associate professor of neurology, surveyed 116 neurology programs in the United States to determine whether neurologists participate in exams following carotid artery surgery. Earlier studies have shown that when neurologists are involved postoperatively, the complication rate is reported at 7.7 percent; surgeons working alone report a complication rate of only 2.3 percent.

According to the survey, Dr. Chaturvedi found that neurologists are not consistently involved in postoperative follow-up exams in the majority of hospitals. Thirty-three percent reported that the “majority” of patients saw a neurologist after surgery, while 66 percent reported that “some” or “few” patients saw neurologists.

Furthermore, the study found that it was difficult for individual neurologists to determine how well their carotid artery surgery programs compared with national averages because of a lack of data available on death rates of patients treated within the hospitals or by particular surgeons. This is particularly important for borderline patients who may or may not see a benefit from this particular procedure.

Furthermore, the study found that only 18 percent of the neurology departments surveyed were involved in multidisciplinary audits. Ninety-six percent of those surveyed believed that neurologists should be involved.

“This fact hinders determination of accurate local complication rates and raises questions about the real world effectiveness of carotid endarterectomy,” Dr. Chaturvedi said.

With more than 1,000 medical students, WSU is among the nation’s largest medical schools. Together with its clinical partner, the Wayne State University Physician Group, the school is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas, including cancer, genetics, the neurosciences and women’s and children's health.