A study examining combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass (CAB) outside the metropolitan or university hospital setting was performed. Over a 5-year period, 52 patients underwent carotid endarterectomy and CAB under a single anesthetic. Twenty-two patients (42%) had unstable angina and 23 (44%) had previous neurologic symptoms. There were two postoperative strokes (4%), one ipsilateral and one contralateral to the endarterectomy site. No ipsilateral neurologic events occurred after discharge (mean follow-up 25 months). There were four deaths (8%), all of which were cardiac related. Three of the four deaths were in patients with a recent history of congestive heart failure, a subgroup with a high mortality rate (three of seven; 43%). Over the same period, 2421 patients underwent CAB alone with stroke and mortality rates of 1.4 and 2.0% respectively, while 344 patients had carotid endarterectomy alone with stroke and mortality rates of 0.6 and 0.6% respectively. It is concluded that the combined procedure can be performed in a community setting with morbidity and mortality rates similar to those for major centers. Although stroke and mortality rates for the combined procedure were higher than those for the isolated operations, this group has a high incidence of cardiac symptoms, including unstable angina and congestive heart failure. Patients with recent congestive heart failure had the highest mortality rate of any subgroup and these patients should be carefully examined with regard to selection for the combined procedure.