What is the complication rate of carotid artery bypass surgery?

3% or less: I assume you mean carotid endarterectomy, which is a relatively common operation to remove plaque which is partially obstructing flow through the artery to the brain. The best surgeons report complication rates of 3% or better. When the carotid artery is totally blocked, then a bypass can be created past the blocked artery. This must be done by a skilled neurosurgeon.

Varies: This varies from center to center but a good figure is 2-3%. When i say complication, this can range from minor bleeding that may require additional dressing changes and additional pressure held to the wound; to the severe stroke-fortunately the latter has become more rare than ever because of our monitoring. All procedures carry a risk and the benefit has to be weighed against it.