Analysis Highlights Rates of Stroke Prevention Procedure
Residents of Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County have the highest rates statewide of a stroke prevention procedure called carotid endarterectomy, according to an analysis of hospital data by Stanford University professor Laurence Baker. Residents of the Clearlake area in Lake County have the second highest rates of the procedure in California, the analysis found. The procedure carries risks that include heart attack, stroke and death. The analysis and the news reports were supported by the California HealthCare Foundation, which also publishes California Healthline.
- "Clearlake No. 2 in State for Risky Stroke Surgery" (Bazar, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/16).
- "Death Prompts Family's Questions About Risky Surgery" (Weiss, "The California Report," KQED, 1/16).