RESUMEN
Many surgeons use a vein-patch angioplasty after endarterectomy of small (< 4 mm) diameter carotid arteries in males and females. Because evidence suggests that females may have a poorer outcome than males after revascularization, the long-term success of carotid endarterectomy may be different among the genders. The 10-year outcome after a saphenous vein-patch angioplasty in females was studied. Endarterectomies were performed on 708 carotid arteries of 615 patients, who had evidence of symptomatic disease or had asymptomatic greater than 80% stenosis. A segment of proximal greater saphenous vein was harvested for the patch. The 247 females had a mean age of 69.1 +/-9.8 (SD) years and a follow-up time of 4.0 +/-4.0 (SD) years. The 368 males had a mean age of 69.2 +/-8.8 (SD) years and a follow-up time of 4.4 +/-4.0 (SD) years. After endarterectomy, survival, the ipsilateral stroke-free rates and the restenosis-free rates were determined by life table analyses with 73 endarterectomies in 66 patients being at risk at 10 years. The 5- and 10-year survival rates in males were 81.9% and 62.2%, respectively. The 5- and 10-year survival rates in females were 82.6% and 73.0%, respectively. The 5- and 10-year ipsilateral stroke-free rates after carotid endarterectomy were 98.3% and 93.9% in males and 96.7% and 95.6% in females. The respective 5- and 10-year restenosis-free rates were 96.7% and 93.3% in males and 88.6% and 82.8% in females; p < 0.0002, by the Mantel-Cox test. Although survival and the incidence of an ipsilateral stroke were similar in females and males, the hemodynamic restenosis rate was higher in females. It is especially important to use routine duplex scanning to follow the post-endarterectomy health of the carotid artery in females.