Joint study of extracranial arterial occlusion. IV. A review of surgical considerations

Twenty-four centers participated in the Joint Study of Extracranial Arterial Occlusion. There were 2,400 operations carried out between 1961 and 1968 with an overall surgical mortality of 4.5%. The highest complication rate, including mortality, was noted in patients operated on within two weeks of the development of an acute neurological deficit. With improved intraoperative technique and more critical selection of patients, there has been a steady decline in surgical mortality over the past eight years.