Endovascular recanalization of common carotid artery Total occlusion: two case reports and literature review

Combined Endovascular Antegrade and Direct Retrograde Carotid Artery Stenting for Chronic and Long Segment Common Carotid Artery Occlusion: Technical Note and Review of Literature

Common carotid artery (CCA) occlusion (CCAO) is a rare cause of ischemic stroke and bypass surgery is the common treatment approach. However, safer alternatives should be developed to treat CCAO. A 68-year-old male was diagnosed with left-sided CCAO with decreased left visual acuity due to neck radiation therapy for laryngeal cancer. Recanalization therapy using a pull-through technique was initiated because cerebral blood flow progressively decreased during the follow-up period. First, after a short sheath was inserted into the CCA, the occluded CCA was retrogradely penetrated through the sheath. Second, a micro-guidewire was guided to the aorta from the femoral sheath where it was caught using a snare wire guided from the cervical sheath. Subsequently, the micro-guidewire was gently pulled out from the cervical sheath, penetrated the occluded lesion, and was secured to the femoral and cervical sheaths. Finally, the occluded lesion was dilated using a balloon, and the stent was placed. Five days postprocedure, the patient was discharged uneventfully and exhibited improved left visual acuity. In terms of reliable penetration of obstructive lesions and reduction of embolic and hemorrhagic complications, combined endovascular antegrade and direct retrograde carotid artery stenting is a versatile and minimally invasive treatment option for CCAO.

A case of symptomatic carotid artery occlusion after aortic arch replacement treated with carotid-carotid crossover bypass

Background:

Symptomatic common carotid artery (CCA) occlusion is rare and its treatment remains unestablished. Although cases of subclavian-to-carotid bypass have been reported, very few cases of carotid-tocarotid crossover bypass have been reported, despite its advantages. We report a case of Riles type 1A symptomatic CCA occlusion after aortic arch replacement that was treated with carotid-to-carotid crossover bypass with favorable outcomes.

Case Description:

A 65-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and total arch replacement for thoracic aortic aneurysm was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of the right hemiparesis and motor aphasia. Head magnetic resonance imaging revealed a fresh infarction in the left cerebral hemisphere. Cervical computed tomography (CT) angiography revealed left CCA occlusion. Thoracic CT angiography showed severe stenosis of the left subclavian artery. SPECT showed a general decrease in blood flow in the left cerebral hemisphere. We performed a carotid-to-carotid crossover bypass with a synthetic graft that was passed through the subcutaneous tunnel. First, the right carotid artery-synthetic graft end-to-side anastomosis was performed. Subsequently, we performed synthetic graft-left CCA end-to-side anastomosis. The postoperative course was uneventful. Cervical computed tomography angiography showed perfect patency of the crossover bypass. The patient recovered almost completely and was independently performing daily activities.

Conclusion:

Carotid-to-carotid crossover bypass is a durable treatment for symptomatic CCA occlusion. Further studies are needed to compare its outcomes with those of other methods and to confirm our findings with larger sample size.

Surgical procedures including carotid-carotid crossover bypass and ring-stripping hybrid operation for Rile's type 1A common carotid artery occlusion: an experience of 6 cases

Background

At present, there is no consensus on the treatment of common carotid artery occlusion (CCAO). We explored the surgical indications and observed the therapeutic effects of carotid-carotid crossover bypass and ring-stripping hybrid operation for treatment of Rile’s type 1A CCAO.

Methods

The imaging data, clinical manifestations, surgical complications and postoperative ischemic events were retrospectively collected from the 6 cases with Rile’s type 1A CCAO that underwent surgery in our department from 2011 to 2018. Of the 6 cases, 4 received carotid-carotid crossover bypass and 2 ring-stripping hybrid operation.

Results

Of the 6 cases, 4 were male and 2 females, with a mean age of 62.7 years. All cases had the left CCAO combined with decreased computed tomography perfusion (CTP) in the left internal carotid artery blood supply area. In the 4 cases receiving carotid-carotid crossover bypass, the mean operation time was 186±13 min, the mean hospital stay was 17±1 d, postoperative CTP improved, one case had swallowing foreign body sensation, synthetic vascular grafts were patent and no ischemic events occurred during the mean follow-up of 62.3±26.3 months. In the 2 cases receiving ring-stripping hybrid operation, the mean operation time was 118±11 min, the mean hospital stay was 5.5±0.7 d, postoperative CTP improved, and the opened common carotid arteries (CCA) were patent and no ischemic events occurred during the mean follow-up of 17.5±3.5 months.

Conclusions

Rile’s type 1A CCAO with related symptoms and decreased CTP should be treated by revascularization. The carotid-carotid crossover bypass is a good choice in bypass schemes because of its easy operation and good long-term patency. The ring-stripping hybrid operation may be an ideal surgical scheme for Rile’s type 1A CCAO.