At the 2nd Department of Surgery of St. Anna’s University Hospital, 1.165 reconstructive surgeries in the region of carotid bifurcation were carried out within 1992 – 2005, i.e., in the course of 17 years. Bard-Javid carotid shunt has been used since 1992. From February 1994, operations were performed under cervical epidural anaesthesia. In 1997, eversion endarterectomy of the internal carotid artery, and in 1998, the carotid artery reconstruction applied according to Sottiurai were introduced. Since 1999, cervical epidural anaesthesia has been substituted with the cervical plexus blockade. The total percentage of complications reached 5.49 %. The total mortality rate was 0.86 %, out of it only 0.51 % within the period of 1994–2005. The comparison using Fisher test showed the marginally significantly higher mortality rate in a group of patients operated on under cervical epidural anaesthesia and in the cervical plexus blockade vs. a group operated on under general anaesthesia.

        Key words: carotid endarterectomy, brief history