Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of resting ECG findings preoperatively and at the follow-up examination in long term survivors after carotid endarterectomy and to find out possible alteration in ECG pattern between preoperative and follow-up ECG records.
Setting: Tampere University Hospital.
Patients: 150 patients intended to control examination. There were 97 men and 53 women with the mean age of 63.7 years.
Interventions: Carotid endarterectomy.
Measures: Preoperative and follow-up ECG records were classified according to Minnesota coding system.
Results: No reportable ECG items were found in 92.0% of patients preoperatively and in 78.5% at the follow-up examination. In 13.3% of patients ECG pattern was changed during the follow-up. Q-QS-changes were found in 6.7% of patients preoperatively and in 16.1% of patients at the follow-up examination. Atrial fibrillation appeared in 4.7% of patients during the follow-up. One new RBBB was found at the follow-up ECG.
Conclusions: In this selected material resting ECG changes in long term survivors after carotid endarterectomy were relatively few. ECG changes found were mostly suggestive of ischemic heart disease and progression to more frequent ischemic changes during the follow-up was obvious.