The GALA Trial: Will It Influence Clinical Practice?

• Published in: Vascular and endovascular surgery 2009-10, Vol.43 (5), p.429-432
• Main Authors: Paraskevas, Kosmas I., Mikhailidis, Dimitri P., Bell, Peter R.F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia, General; Anesthesia, Local; Biological and medical sciences; Blood. Blood coagulation. Reticuloendothelial system; Carotid Stenosis - surgery; Endarterectomy, Carotid - adverse effects; Endarterectomy, Carotid - methods; Humans; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Preoperative Care; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Stroke - etiology; Stroke - prevention & control; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Vascular surgery: aorta, extremities, vena cava. Surgery of the lymphatic vessels
• ISSN: 1538-5744; 1938-9116
• DOI: 10.1177/1538574409340589

The General Anesthesia vs. Local Anesthesia for Carotid Surgery (GALA) trial did not show a difference in 30-day postoperative stroke, myocardial infarction and death rates between patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) under local vs. general anesthesia. The present article discusses some limitations of the GALA trial. Firstly, the expected stroke and death rates following CEA is so low, that it was unlikely that the GALA trial would show any significant difference between local and general anesthesia. Secondly, preoperative statin use was not recorded. Thirdly, intraoperative shunt usa ge rates (a possible parameter for the development of stroke) varied considerably between the 2 groups (43% vs. 14%, for general vs. local anesthesia, respectively; P < .0001), as well as between UK and non-UK surgeons who always (73.6% vs. 20.8%, respectively; P < .0001), never (4.2% vs. 26%, respectively; P < .0002), or selectively (22.2% vs. 53.2%, respectively; P < .0001) used a shunt. Furthermore, no information was provided regarding the type of shunts used; for example, atraumatic shunts may be associated with lower perioperative stroke rates. These limitations could influence the interpretation of the results of the GALA trial. Due to lack of differences between the 2 groups and the presence of the above limitations, it seems likely that this trial will have little effect on clinical practice.