Results of carotid endarterectomy in patients with contralateral internal carotid artery occlusion from the Mid-America Vascular Study Group and the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative

Transient ischemic attack and minor stroke as "surgeons affairs": a narrative review

OBJECTIVE

The scope of this paper is to review the subtypes of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor stroke (mS) in which a surgical treatment is needed, discussing the importance and the timing of a multidisciplinary approach, in order to achieve an optimized management and prevent major strokes or other critical complications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The keywords "transient ischemic attack," "minor stroke," "surgical treatment," "vascular surgery," "heart surgery," "neurosurgery," and "multidisciplinary" were searched using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus. Relevant search results were discussed by the authors for references inclusion.

RESULTS

Notwithstanding that best medical therapy is usually the first choice for the most part of cases, there are specific but recurrent etiologies that must be properly recognized because of a potential surgical approach, even in urgency. In fact, symptomatic carotid stenosis, or particular cases of hemodynamic cerebrovascular events, should be promptly referred to vascular surgeon, since increasing evidences highlighted a benefit from an early artery revascularization. In addition, beyond arrhythmic causes, cardioembolic events due to bacterial endocarditis and atrial myxoma should be quickly diagnosed, possibly in emergency department, because they are a presumptive urgency for heart surgery. In addition to the above-mentioned conditions, in patients suffering from vertebrobasilar TIA or mS, clinicians should keep in mind the Bow Hunter disease, because surgical artery decompression can represent the only suitable treatment in selected cases.

CONCLUSIONS

TIA and mS require a multidisciplinary in order to discuss therapeutic options, comparing risks and benefits and determining the best timing for an optimized management.

Outcomes and role of shunting during carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic patients

OBJECTIVE

Shunt placement during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is often advocated to protect the ischemic penumbra in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis. This study assesses the effect of shunt placement on postoperative stroke risk in symptomatic patients undergoing CEA.

METHODS

We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2016-2019) for CEA cases with complete CEA procedure-targeted data. Symptomatic patients were identified as having a preoperative diagnosis of stroke on presentation (DS), transient ischemic attack (TIA), amaurosis fugax (AF), or temporary monocular blindness (TMB). DS patients were further analyzed according to the severity of their stroke based on their modified Rankin Scale (mRS). To better assess the effect of shunt placement on stroke rate, we compared cases of CEA with patch angioplasty technique, with and without the use of intraoperative shunt. Patients who underwent carotid eversion or primary closure were excluded. Baseline demographics and perioperative outcomes were compared using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U test. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for postoperative stroke and cranial nerve injury.

RESULTS

We identified 4,652 cases of CEA with patch angioplasty in symptomatic patients, including 1,889 (40.6%) with shunt placement and 2,763 (59.4%) without. Age, race, and sex distributions were similar for both procedures. Compared to patients without shunt, those with shunt had significantly higher rates of emergency (9.1% vs 7.0%, P = .010) and non-elective surgery (40.3% vs 37.2%, P = .035), general anesthesia (97.0% vs 86.3%, P < .001), and bleeding disorders (27.2% vs 22.7%, P < .001). Thirty-day incidence of postoperative stroke was similar between patients who had shunt placement (3.2%) and those who did not (2.6%) (P = .219). Additionally, subgroup analysis failed to show any benefit of shunting on postoperative stroke regardless of preoperative symptoms or neurologic disability. In contrast, shunt placement was associated with increased rate of cranial nerve injury (4.1% vs 2.4%, P = .001). Multivariate analysis revealed that non-elective surgery (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.36-2.91, P < .001) and DS (vs TIA/AF/TMB) (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.12-2.41, P = .012) were predictive of 30-day postoperative stroke. After adjusting for confounders, shunt placement had no effect on stroke risk at 30 days but remained an independent risk factor for cranial nerve injury (aOR 1.87, 95% CI 1.32-2.64, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

In symptomatic patients undergoing CEA with patch angioplasty, shunting is associated with increased risk of cranial nerve injury without reduction in postoperative stroke risk.

Carotid artery stenting in patients with chronic internal carotid artery occlusion

BACKGROUND

The risk of ischemic stroke in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) on best medical treatment has been estimated to be 5.5% per year. The purpose of this study was to assess early and mid-term outcome of patients who underwent an attempt at transfemoral carotid artery stenting (CAS) for CTO of the ICA.

METHODS

Clinical data of symptomatic patients who underwent attempt at CAS for CTO of the ICA between January 1, 2010 and July 1, 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical success, perioperative and mid-term stroke and death rates were recorded. Descriptive statistics were used.

RESULTS

There were 27 patients, 14 females, 13 males, with a mean age of 66.8 years, range: 57 to 79. All patients had symptoms within 6 months prior to the procedure. 16 had ipsilateral stroke at a mean of 2.8 months, ranges: 1.5-4 months, two had transient ischemic attack (TIA), at 1 week and at 6 months, one had amaurosis fugax at one week, two had chronic ocular ischemia and six had chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Technical success was 52% (14/27). One patient developed a minor reversible stroke (1/27, 3.7%) there was no early death, for an overall 30-day stroke and death rate of 3.7% (1/27). Two patients had perioperative TIAs. Among 14 patients with successful CAS (group A) one had minor, reversible ipsilateral stroke during a follow-up of 29 months (range: 4-112), two had contralateral stroke. There was no death. One patient developed asymptomatic stent occlusion, three had asymptomatic in-stent restenosis >50%, two had reinterventions. Among patients with unsuccessful attempt at CAS (group B), 31% (4/13) had stroke at 4, 10, 14 and 22 months, respectively. One stroke patient died at 10 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Transfemoral CAS of symptomatic patients with CTO of the ICA was feasible in half of the patients, with no mortality or major stroke, for an overall early stroke/death rate of 3.7%. Since one third of the patients with unsuccessful stenting developed stroke during follow-up, further studies to investigate the safety, efficacy and durability of CAS for CTO of the ICA are needed.

Contralateral Stenosis and Echolucent Plaque Morphology are Associated with Elevated Stroke Risk in Patients Treated with Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis within a Controlled Clinical Trial (SPACE-2)

BACKGROUND

Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACS) has a low risk of stroke. To achieve an advantage over noninterventional best medical treatment (BMT), carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting (CAS) must be performed with the lowest possible risk of stroke. Therefore, an analysis of risk-elevating factors is essential. Grade of ipsilateral and contralateral stenosis as well as plaque morphology are known risk factors in ACS.

METHODS

The randomized, controlled, multicenter SPACE-2 trial had to be stopped prematurely after recruiting 513 patients. 203 patients were randomized to CEA, 197 to CAS, and 113 to BMT. Within one year, risk factors such as grade of stenosis and plaque morphology were analyzed.

RESULTS

Grade of contralateral stenosis (GCS) was higher in patients with any stroke (50%^ECST vs. 20%^ECST; p=0.012). Echolucent plaque morphology was associated with any stroke on the day of intervention (OR 5.23; p=0.041). In the periprocedural period, any stroke was correlated with GCS in the CEA group (70%^ECST vs. 20%^ECST; p=0.026) and with echolucent plaque morphology in the CAS group (6% vs. 1%; p=0.048). In multivariate analysis, occlusion of the contralateral carotid artery (CCO) was associated with risk of any stroke (OR 7.00; p=0.006), without heterogeneity between CEA and CAS.

CONCLUSION

In patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis, GCS, CCO, as well as echolucent plaque morphology were associated with a higher risk of cerebrovascular events. The risk of stroke in the periprocedural period was increased by GCS in CEA and by echolucent plaque in CAS. Due to small sample size, results must be interpreted carefully.

Arterial collateral anatomy predicts the risk for intra-operative changes in somatosensory evoked potentials in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy: a prospective cohort study

Background

During carotid endarterectomy (CEA), significant amplitude decrement of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) is associated with post-operative neurological deficits.

Objective

To investigate the association between an incomplete circle of Willis and/or contralateral ICA occlusion and subsequent changes in intra-operatively monitored SEPs.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of a single center, prospective cohort of consecutive patients undergoing CEA over a 42-month period after reviewing the collateral arterial anatomy on pre-operative radiological imaging. The primary endpoint was an intra-operative decline in SEPs > 50% compared to the baseline value during arterial cross-clamping. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate a potential association between contralateral ICA occlusion, incomplete circle of Willis, and subsequent alteration in SEPs.

Results

A total of 140 consecutive patients were included, of which 116 patients (82.9%) had symptomatic carotid stenosis of at least 50% according to the classification used in the North American Carotid Surgery Trial (NASCET) (Stroke 22:711–720, 1991). Six patients (4.3%) showed contralateral ICA occlusion, 22 patients (16%) a missing/hypoplastic anterior communicating artery (Acom) or A1 segment, and 79 patients (56%) a missing ipsilateral posterior communicating artery (Pcom) or P1 segment. ICA occlusion and missing segments of the anterior circulation (missing A1 and/or missing Acom) were associated with the primary endpoint (p = 0.003 and p = 0.022, respectively).

Conclusion

Contralateral ICA occlusion and missing anterior collaterals of the circle of Willis increase the risk of intra-operative SEP changes during CEA. Pre-operative assessment of collateral arterial anatomy might help identifying patients with an increased intra-operative risk.