| Hospital Specific Reports |
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| Carotid Endarterectomy |
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Oregon 2004
| What is Carotid Endarterectomy?* |
A carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is an operation on the carotid arteries in the neck. It is performed to clear out blockages that prevent blood from reaching the brain. During a carotid endarterectomy, the carotid artery is exposed through a small incision in the neck, the artery is opened, and the blockage is removed. A vein from the leg may be sewn (grafted) on the carotid artery to widen or repair the vessel. Additionally, the blood flow may be temporarily rerouted (shunted) during the procedure.
See Healthwise for additional information on carotid endarterectomy.
*Adapted with permission from Healthwise® Knowledgebase, © 1995-2005 Healthwise, Incorporated, P.O. Box 1989, Boise, Idaho 83701. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
| What does this indicator mean? |
Volume. The number of patients admitted for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is displayed as the volume. CEA is a specialized surgery, and staff at hospitals that perform more of these surgeries may be more familiar with possible complications that can occur. Therefore, performing more of these surgeries may lead to better outcomes. Volume is not a direct measure of the quality of care, but is useful in gauging how much experience a particular hospital has for this procedure.
Research indicates that performing at least 101 surgeries per year may lead to better patient outcomes. In Oregon, thirty-one hospitals performed at least one CEA in 2004, and three hospitals performed 101 or more.
Death Rate. The CEA death rate is the percent of patients admitted for CEA who died in the hospital.
Some patients are sicker or more difficult to treat, and some hospitals admit more of these complex patients than others. Each hospital’s death rate is adjusted to help account for differences in these factors, but keep in mind that the adjustment is not perfect. The adjusted death rate is presented below. In general, deaths from CEA are very rare, and Oregon’s hospitals experienced very low death rates in 2004. For this reason, death rates for individual hospitals are not reported here.
The average death rate for carotid endarterectomy in the United States was 0.7% in 2002. In Oregon, the average death rate was 0.8% in 2004.
| Technology and Changing Practices |
In recent years, standard clinical practices have changed due to advancements in surgical technology. As a result, it is expected that surgeons will perform fewer of carotid endarterectomies as they adopt new technologies.
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| Carotid Endarterectomy Volume |
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Oregon 2004
Notes
- Hospitals not shown had fewer than 5 of these procedures in 2004.
- Statewide Carotid Endarterectomy volume was 1,493 in 2004
- See Technical Documentation for more detail
- Hospitals that submitted additional information about their volume are listed below each graph; click on the hospital name to access their comments.
- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality indicates that performing more than 101 cases per year may lead to better outcomes.
The following hospitals have provided comments regarding these figures:
Hospitals not shown had fewer than 5 cases in the reporting year.
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The following hospitals have provided comments regarding these figures:
Hospitals not shown had fewer than 5 cases in the reporting year.
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The following hospitals have provided comments regarding these figures:
Hospitals not shown had fewer than 5 cases in the reporting year.
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The following hospitals have provided comments regarding these figures:
Hospitals not shown had fewer than 5 cases in the reporting year.
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The following hospitals have provided comments regarding these figures:
Hospitals not shown had fewer than 5 cases in the reporting year.
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