Objective To determine the incidence and clinical features of headache after carotid endarterectomy (CEA).Methods A retrospective analysis was made on the data of patients undergoing CEA in the Department of Vascular Surgery,Peking Union Medical College Hospital from Jan 2014 to Jan 2015.There were 119 males and 24 females,including 97 cases of symptomatic carotid stenosis and 110 cases of severe carotid stenosis.Results The incidence of newly emergent headache after surgery was 44％ (63/143).The earliest time of headache was 30 minutes after surgery and the latest was 6 days after surgery.95％ of headache occurred within 48 hours after surgery (60/63).79.4％ (50/63) of the headache lay ipsilaterally with CEA,and bilateral headache accounted for 20.6％ (13/63).Severe headache accounted for 4.8％ (3/63),all were ipsilaterally frontal and temporal headache,complicating central nervous system symptoms.Conclusions After CEA headache is a common clinical symptom.Most were mild to moderate and unilateral,which can be relieved spontaneously.Cerebral hemodynamics need to be further examined to differentiate the different pathological states of severe headache on the operative side after CEA because of the high risk of developing hyperperfusion syndrome or cerebral infarction.History of TIA or stroke is the risk factor of post-CEA headache.