Carotid endarterectomy in a hostile neck: To do or not to do

Abstract

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the procedure of choice in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis. However, in patients with hostile necks due to previous surgery or radiotherapy, there is a fear of higher complication rate, blood loss, and poor wound healing. We report two patients with hostile necks in whom we performed standard CEA with no cranial nerve injuries, no stroke, no blood transfusion, and normal wound healing and briefly review the literature.

Keywords

• carotid endarterectomy
• hostile neck
• radiation