Influence of internal carotid endarterectomy on patients' life quality.

UNLABELLED Appropriate treatment of symptomatic carotid artery stenosis can reduce ischemic cerebral strokes' risk and in some cases eliminate neurological symptoms. Endarterectomy is the most common surgical treatment. The aim of the study was to examine the influence of carotid endarterectomy on neurological symptoms and patients' life quality. MATERIAL AND METHODS The material comprised of 102 patients who underwent endarterectomy. All of the patients were given a questionnaire with a list of neurological symptoms (vertigos, headaches, left hemiparesis, right hemiparesis, numbness, acroparaesthesia, single syncope, recurrent syncopies, diplopia, tinnitus, concentration disturbances and aphasia) and with a numerical life quality scale to fill in before and a year after the surgery. RESULTS Vertigo, headache, single and recurrent syncopies and aphasia as well as cerebral stroke and amaurosis fugax were significantly more rarely observed after endarterectomy. The mean value of patients' life quality evaluated on a 10-point Likert scale after the surgery increased (3.9 vs 6.3). CONCLUSIONS A year after carotid endarterectomy patients' life quality improves which is connected with neurological symptoms' regression and no further symptoms' occurrence due to a preventive role of the surgery.