Background and Purpose-The outcomes of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) are, in addition to patient baseline characteristics, highly dependent on the safety of the surgical procedure. During the successive stages of the operation, transcranial Doppler (TCD) monitoring of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was used to assess the association of cerebral microembolism and hemodynamic changes with stroke and stroke-related death. Methods-By use of data pooled from 2 hospitals in the United States and the Netherlands, including 1058 patients who underwent CEA, the association of various TCD emboli and velocity variables with operative stroke and stroke-related death was evaluated by univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses in combination with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. The impact of basic patient characteristics, such as age, sex, preoperative cerebral symptoms, and ipsilateral and contralateral internal carotid artery stenosis, on the prediction of operative stroke was also evaluated. Results-We observed 31 patients with ischemic and 8 patients with hemorrhagic operative strokes. Four of these patients died.Emboli during dissection (odds ratio [OR] 1.5, 95% CI 0.8 to 2.9) and wound closure (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.4) as well as Ն90% decrease of MCA peak systolic velocity at cross-clamping (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 8.5) and Ն100% increase of the pulsatility index of the Doppler signal at clamp release (OR 7.1, 95% CI 1.4 to 35.7) were independently associated with stroke. The ROC area of this model was 0.69. Of the patient characteristics, only preoperative cerebral ischemia (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.7) and Ն70% ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9) were associated with stroke. Adding these patient characteristics to the model, the area under the ROC curve increased to 0.73. Conclusions-In CEA, TCD-detected microemboli during dissection and wound closure, Ն90% MCA velocity decrease at cross-clamping, and Ն100% pulsatility index increase at clamp release are associated with operative stroke. In combination with the presence of preoperative cerebral symptoms and Ն70% ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis, these 4 TCD monitoring variables reasonably discriminate between patients with and without operative stroke. This supports the use of TCD as a potential intraoperative monitoring modality to alter the surgical technique by enhancing a decrease of the risk of stroke during or immediately after the operation.
Pravastatin treatment effects on carotid and femoral artery walls were observed. B-mode ultrasound imaging studies of peripheral arterial walls could not describe the state and evolution of the coronary lumen in the individual patient, but proved to be a highly suitable tool for the assessment of antiatherosclerotic properties of agents.
Background-The strategy for treating patients with severe asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and cardiac disease remains unresolved. Staged or combined carotid endarterectomy in these patients offers the potential benefit of decreased neurological morbidity during and after cardiac surgery; however, in high-risk patients with severe coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or renal impairment, the incidence of death and stroke is significantly higher. Methods and Results-We report the results of a prospective, single-center study designed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of carotid artery angioplasty and stenting (CAS) before cardiac surgery in neurologically asymptomatic patients. The periprocedural and long-term outcomes of 356 consecutive patients who underwent CAS before cardiac surgery were analyzed. The procedural success rate of CAS was 97.7%. The death and stroke rate from time of CAS to 30 days after cardiac surgery was 4.8% (nϭ17). The myocardial infarction rate from time of CAS to 30 days after cardiac surgery was 2.0% (nϭ7), and the combined death, stroke, and myocardial infarction rate was 6.7% (nϭ24). Distal embolic protection devices were used in 40% of the cases. Conclusions-This large cohort of asymptomatic patients who underwent staged CAS and cardiac surgery experienced a low periprocedural complication rate. The high rate of freedom from death and stroke during the 5 years of follow-up supports the long-term durability of this approach. Our findings suggest that this new strategy may become a valuable alternative in the treatment of patients with combined carotid and cardiac disease.
patients at risk of hyperperfusion syndrome after CEA can be identified intraoperatively by TCD monitoring. In these selected patients, immediate and adequate postoperative treatment of hypertension results in a decreased risk of intracerebral haemorrhage.
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