Carotid Artery Surgery

The buildup of fatty, waxy deposits in blood vessels located on each side of the neck may restrict blood flow to the brain. Removing these deposits can reduce the risk of stroke. Hospitals are asked to report on their annual procedure volume and whether their hospital’s privileging process include the surgeon meeting or exceeding Leapfrog's minimum surgeon volume standard. Hospitals also report on whether they have protocols in place to ensure that the surgery is only done unnecessarily on patients who would not benefit. 

View Leapfrog's minimum hospital and surgeon volume standards here.

Patients Included in the Measure

• Inpatients (Patients who are admitted to the hospital for at least one overnight stay)

• Adults