Patient education: Carotid endarterectomy – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is carotid endarterectomy? — Carotid endarterectomy is a surgery to remove plaque from the carotid arteries. This surgery is most often done for people who had a recent transient ischemic attack ("TIA") or stroke.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

You should also:

●Take all of your medicines as instructed. It is especially important to take your blood thinner medicines (such as daily aspirin) and, if needed, blood pressure medicines.

●Take care of your incision – You might have stitches, skin staples, or a special skin tape on your incision.

•Keep your incision dry and covered with a bandage for the first 1 to 2 days after surgery. Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to keep your incision covered and dry.

•Once you no longer need to keep your incision dry, gently wash it with soap and water whenever you take a shower. Do not put your incision underwater, such as in a bath, pool, or lake. This can raise your chance of getting an infection.

•After you wash your incision, pat it dry. Your doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to cover your incision with a bandage or gauze.

•Always wash your hands before and after you touch your incision or bandage.

●Increase your activity slowly.

•Start with short walks around your home, and walk a little more each day.

•Avoid activities that increase your blood pressure or cause you to bear down like heavy lifting. (Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to avoid these or other activities.)

●Eat when you are hungry – If you have pain when swallowing after surgery, try eating soft foods that are easy to swallow. Examples include eggs, pudding, yogurt, and soup. If your doctor or nurse gave you specific instructions about what to eat or avoid, follow them.

●Use a stool softener to help prevent constipation, if needed. This is a common problem if you take opioid pain medicines. Follow all instructions for taking your pain medicines.

●You can also take non-prescription pain medicines, such as acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), instead of opioids.

What follow-up care do I need? — The doctor will want to see you again after surgery to check on your progress. Go to these appointments. They will want to check the blood flow through your carotid arteries.

If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will usually want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks. Some stitches absorb on their own and do not need to be removed. If the doctor used skin tape, it will fall off on its own. Do not pick at it or try to remove it yourself.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if you have:

●Symptoms of a heart attack. This might include:

•Severe chest pain, pressure, or discomfort with:

-Breathing trouble, sweating, upset stomach, or cold and clammy skin

-Pain in your arms, back, or jaw

-Worse pain with activity like walking up stairs

•Fast or irregular heartbeat

•Feeling dizzy, faint, or weak

●Symptoms of a stroke. This might include:

•Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on 1 side of the body

•Sudden confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding

•Sudden trouble seeing in 1 or both eyes

•Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination

•Sudden severe headache with no known cause

●Sudden neck swelling. This might cause:

•Trouble swallowing or breathing

•Noisy breathing

Call for advice if:

●Your blood pressure is high.

●You have a headache on the side of the surgery that persists.

●You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills.

●You have redness or swelling around your incision.

●You have nausea or vomiting for more than 2 days after going home.

More on this topic

Patient education: Carotid endarterectomy (The Basics)
Patient education: Carotid artery disease (The Basics)
Patient education: Transient ischemic attack (The Basics)
Patient education: Stroke (The Basics)

Patient education: Transient ischemic attack (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Stroke symptoms and diagnosis (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Hemorrhagic stroke treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Ischemic stroke treatment (Beyond the Basics)