The Role of Carotid Stump Pressure in Carotid Endarterectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This review evaluates the carotid stump pressure (CSP)’s role as a single parameter at any given pressure as an indicator for selective shunting, or vice versa, in carotid endarterectomy (CEA). A systematic review of literature in MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library from 1969 to 2019 was conducted. The primary end point was set at 0 to 30-day mortality, ischemic stroke (IS), transient ischemic attack (TIA), and a secondary point at recognition of an optimal CSP pressure. The data was subjected to meta-analytics. The odds ratio (OR) was reported at 95% confidence interval (CI). This study has been registered with PROSPERO: CRD42019119851. The pooled analysis on the primary endpoint of IS demonstrated higher incidence of stroke in shunted CEAs solely based on CSP measurement alone (OR, 0.14, 95%CI: 0.08–0.24, I(2)=48%, p<0.001). Sub group analysis demonstrated similar patterns at 25 mmHg (OR, 0.06, 95%CI: 0.01–0.5, p<0.01), 30 mmHg (OR, 0.07, 95%CI: 0.01–0.63, p=0.02) and 40 mmHg (OR, 0.23, 95%CI: 0.09–0.57, p<0.01). This effect on end points of mortality and TIA demonstrated no benefit in either direction. CSP, as a single criterion, is not a reliable parameter in reduction of TIA, mortality, and IS at any given pressure range.