Reprinted article "Carotid artery disease and stroke during coronary artery bypass: a critical review of the literature".

Abstract Objectives To determine the role of carotid artery disease in the pathophysiology of stroke after coronary artery bypass (CABG). Design Systematic review of the literature. Results The risk of stroke after CABG was 2% and remained unchanged between 1970-2000. Two-thirds occurred after day 1 and 23% died. 91% of screened CABG patients had no significant carotid disease and had a Conclusions Carotid disease is an important aetiological factor in the pathophysiology of post-CABG stroke. However, even assuming that prophylactic carotid endarterectomy carried no additional risk, it could only ever prevent about 40–50% of procedural strokes.