Postoperative Cardiac Damage After Standardized Carotid Endarterectomy Procedures in Low- and High-Risk Patients

Carotid endarterectomy is followed by an increase in cTn-I value >0.5 ng/mL in 14% of all cases, although symptomatic cardiac ischemia is very low. However, high-risk patients as defined by the SAPPHIRE criteria do not show an increased risk of cardiac damage compared to low-risk patients. Larger studies using cTn-I as a marker of postoperative cardiac damage, after carotid endarterectomy or stenting, are needed.