Delay Prior to Expedited Carotid Endarterectomy: A Prospective Audit of Practice

Objectives To identify reasons for delay before carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in a reconfigured “fast-track” system where patients were admitted from the TIA (transient ischaemic attack) Clinic for urgent CEA. Methods Prospective audit in 89 recently symptomatic patients. Results Ten patients (11%) suffered recurrent symptoms between admission and surgery. Two strokes were sufficiently severe that CEA was cancelled. The median delay from index symptom to CEA was 8 days. 74/87 (85%) underwent CEA Conclusions The vast majority of patients (85%) underwent CEA