Objective：To explore the surgical treatment and perioperative management of carotid body tumors.
Methods：Fifteen patients with carotid body tumor were operated upon after appropriate perioperative management.
Results：Among the 15 cases, 6 underwent simple tumor excision，7 had co-resection of carotid body tumor and carotid artery,and 2 cases had arterial anastomosis of common carotid artery and internal carotid artery after co-resection of carotid body tumor. There was no mortality after operation in this series. All patients were followed up from 1 year to 3 years (average, 15.3months). Operative incisions healed by primary intention. The pressure symptoms of carotid body tumor disappeared after operation, but two patients had temporary headache for 3months, and one patient died of cerebral infarction. Injury of hypoglossal nerve occurred in one patient  but it recovered after treatment. There were no recurrences of carotid body tumor after operation.
Conclusions：Adequate perioperative management can improve the effect and safety of operation, and decrease operative complications of patients with carotid body tumor.