Contralateral occlusion increases the risk of neurological complications associated with carotid endarterectomy

Non-association of stroke risk with intracranial hemodynamic steal in patients with symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusions

OBJECTIVES

Paradoxical intracranial hemodynamic steal (IHS) is known in patients having persistent proximal arterial occlusions and is linked with early neurological worsening. However, stroke risk specific to symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusions (SICAO) having paradoxical IHS is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association of paradoxical IHS in SICAO patients with stroke recurrence during a one-year follow-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We prospectively enrolled adult patients having SICAO with a recent history of ischemic events. Steal magnitude (SM) to classify patients in IHS and non-IHS categories was evaluated by a breath-holding test using bilateral transcranial doppler (TCD). Patients were prescribed optimal medical therapy and followed up for one year for any ischemic stroke/TIA/cardiovascular death.

RESULTS

36 SICAO patients, mean age of 56 years, were assessed using TCD at median 22.5 days (Interquartile range, IQR= 9-42), and 11 (30.6%) had paradoxical IHS with median SM 12% (IQR= 6%-18%). On follow-up, 7 (19.4%) patients had event recurrence and its association with IHS was non-significant (IHS vs non-IHS, 18.2% vs 20%; Log-rank statistics=0.006; P=0.940). On Cox regression analysis, event recurrence was independently associated with the presence of significant contralateral stenosis only (regression coefficient= 2.237; P= 0.012; 95% CI= 1.63-53.89).

CONCLUSIONS

IHS prevalence among SICAO is high. However, paradoxical IHS was not associated with an increased risk of stroke in SICAO. Therefore, the presence of paradoxical IHS in SICAO may be considered a transit state and does not necessarily imply an increased risk of stroke.

Carotid endarterectomy with saphenous vein patch angioplasty: a single-center experience

BACKGROUND

When performing a conventional CEA it is recommended the use of patch angioplasty (PA), since previous meta-analyses have shown PA to be superior to primary closure (PRC) in terms of stroke and restenosis rates. Different materials patches can be employed although none of them has been proved to be superior. Although autologous veins are potentially more resistant to immediate thrombosis as well as infection, cons may be represented by patch rupture and late dilatation. Aim of this study is to evaluate immediate and long-term results of CEA with saphenous vein patch angioplasty (SVPA) in a single-center experience.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed analyzing all patients undergoing CEA with SVPA at our institution from January 2012 to March 2020. CEA was performed in symptomatic patients with 50-99% carotid stenosis degree or asymptomatic patients with 70-99% stenosis degree. Exclusion criteria were critical limb ischemia, varicose disease, unavailability of saphenous veins, vein diameter <3.5 mm. All CEAs were performed under general anesthesia with routine shunting. Primary endpoints were perioperative stroke, death, carotid thrombosis and hematoma requiring surgery rates. Secondary endpoints included the rate of recurrent stenosis >70%, patch aneurysm/rupture/infection at follow-up.

RESULTS

Overall, 488 interventions were performed on 461 patients. Most patients were male (77.8%) with a mean age of 71.2±8.3 years. Thirty-day mortality and stroke rates were 0.4% and 1.2% respectively. Carotid thrombosis occurred in five patients (1%). Five patients (1%) developed a surgical site hematoma requiring surgical drainage. At a mean follow-up of 34.4±25.8 months 12 restenoses (2.5%) were detected. Five-year freedom from restenosis rate was 96.7%. Restenosis at follow-up was more frequent in patients who had contralateral carotid stenosis (P=0.019). Two patients (0.4%) developed carotid patch aneurysmal degeneration at a mean follow-up of 78.7 months. No infection nor patch disruption were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

CEA with SVPA resulted safe and effective in terms of early and late results. The perioperative complications rates we recorded were quite similar to those reported by other larger reviews and meta-analyses.

[Carotid endarterectomy in patients with symptomatic occlusions of the contralateral internal carotid artery]

The main aim of the study was to investigate the effect of carotid endarterectomy on the prognosis of chronic cerebral ischemia in patients with symptomatic occlusions of the contralateral internal carotid artery, assess risks of surgical complications, and substantiate the staged surgical approach for treatment of patients with this pathology. The article analyzes the experience in surgical treatment of 83 patients with symptomatic ICA occlusions who underwent surgery for contralateral carotid artery stenosis. In 40 patients, only carotid endarterectomy (CEA) was performed on the side of hemodynamically significant stenosis (group 1). In 43 (52%) cases, apart from CEA, extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass was performed at the second stage (23 cases, group 2) or the first stage (19 cases, group 3). A surgical treatment approach was chosen based on clinical symptoms, severity of contralateral carotid artery stenosis, and the magnitude of perfusion deficiency in the territory of carotid occlusion. The conducted analysis revealed that patients with symptomatic occlusions and contralateral carotid artery stenoses represented a heterogeneous group with a different efficacy of carotid endarterectomy and with risks of perioperative complications. As cerebrovascular insufficiency in the territory of carotid occlusion and a related neurological deficit worsen, the risks of complications of contralateral carotid endarterectomy increase, and its clinical efficacy decreases. In these cases, cerebral revascularization on the ICA occlusion side should be performed at the first stage.

Carotid Endarterectomy with Routine Shunt for Patients with Contralateral Carotid Occlusion

This study aimed to report the clinical features and early and long-term outcomes of patients treated with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) combined with a routine shunt for carotid stenosis with the occlusion of the contralateral carotid artery (CCO), and to compare them with patients without contralateral occlusion (NO-CCO). A retrospective analysis included 301 patients who had carotid artery stenosis treated with CEA using a routine shunt. Of these patients, 35 patients and 266 patients were categorized into a CCO group and NO-CCO group, respectively. Demographics and short-term and long-term outcomes were documented and compared. The demographic characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. The periprocedural mortality, stroke rate, and rate of periprocedural myocardial infarction were not significantly different between both groups. The mean follow-up period for long-term outcomes was 34.45 ± 22.99 months, and the Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no statistical difference between both groups regarding stroke, myocardial infarction, and mortality. CEA combined with the routine shunt is an effective and durable procedure for carotid artery stenosis patients with CCO.