Multiple-center russian study of temporary bypass in carotid endarterectomy

This study aims to evaluate the effect of contralateral internal carotid artery stenosis on postoperative stroke and mortality rate and blood pressure alterations following carotid artery endarterectomy. Between January 2009 and April 2017, a total of 152 carotid artery endarterectomy operations in 141 consecutive patients (30 females, 111 males; mean age 70.0±10.2 years; range, 48 to 92 years) with internal carotid artery stenosis were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups as those with contralateral internal carotid artery stenosis <70% (n=95) and contralateral internal carotid artery stenosis ?70% (n=26). Stroke and mortality rates in the early postoperative period (within the first 30 days), postoperative blood pressure alterations at six and 24 hours, non-neurological outcomes, and baseline demographic characteristics were analyzed and compared between the groups. Both groups showed similar results in terms of the demographic characteristics. There was no statistically significant difference in the postoperative blood pressure alterations at six (p=0.917) and 24 hours (p=0.6), stroke rate (7.6% vs. 3.1%, p=0.282), mortality rate (3.8% vs. 2.1%, p=0.519), non-neurological complications (15.3% vs. 11.4%, p=0.736), and length of hospital stay (p>0.05) between the groups. The patients with contralateral severe internal carotid artery stenosis were younger (p=0.005). The present study shows that the presence of a contralateral severe internal carotid artery stenosis does not increase the risk of postoperative stroke and mortality rates and blood pressure alterations. Therefore, carotid artery endarterectomy can be performed with acceptable complication rates in patients with contralateral severe internal carotid artery stenosis with strict perioperative hemodynamic monitoring.

The importance of intraoperative detection of residual flow abnormalities after carotid artery endarterectomy

Regarding "Carotid endarterectomy with routine electroencephalography and selective shunting: influence of contralateral internal carotid artery occlusion and utility in prevention of perioperative strokes".

INTRODUCTION Thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion (LVO) has become a well-established treatment for acute stroke. Management of tandem internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis in thrombectomy patients can be challenging, as no formal treatment algorithm exists for this unique pathology. We present a single institution's experience with the acute treatment of ICA stenosis during or after thrombectomy with either carotid artery stent (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA). METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on all patients who underwent thrombectomy with tandem ICA stenosis at our institution. All demographic, stroke presentation, stroke treatment, cervical carotid stenosis treatment, and follow-up data were analyzed for these patients. RESULTS From 2015 to 2018, 31 patients with tandem ICA stenosis underwent thrombectomy for LVO. Of these patients, 26 had a CAS placed, 25 of which were done at time of thrombectomy, and 1 placed 5 d after thrombectomy. CAS patients were placed on antiplatelet therapy after stent placement. Of the 25 patients who had CAS placed at time of thrombectomy, 5 patients had a symptomatic ICH, 4 of which did not survive the hospitalization. Two additional CAS patients did not survive hospitalization. There were 5 patients who had a CEA performed during the same hospital stay, ranging from 1 to 10 d post-thrombectomy. Patients who underwent CEA had a smaller area of infarct and a shorter thrombectomy procedure time when compared to the CAS patients, and all CEA patients survived hospitalization, with good outcomes. CONCLUSION CAS placement for tandem ICA stenosis at time of thrombectomy may be less safe than previously published. Early, but not simultaneous, intervention on cervical ICA stenosis after thrombectomy allows for the assessment of infarct volume, patient recovery, and the presence of intracerebral hemorrhage, and thus provides the opportunity to appropriately select patients who would benefit from treatment of the carotid stenosis with either CAS or CEA.

Background and Purpose: Carotid endarterectomy (CE) has been shown to be beneficial in patients with symptomatic high-grade internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. Some authors have suggested that when ultrasound shows a stenosis 70–99%, CE can be performed without further imaging study. However, ultrasound findings that suggest an ICA occlusion, not confirmed by angiography but which instead show a near-occlusion usually benefit from CE. The objectives of this study are: (1) to evaluate how angiography-obtained information on intracranial arteries affects the treatment decision in patients with 70–99% ICA stenosis, and (2) to evaluate when a symptomatic ICA occlusion shown by ultrasound could actually be a patent artery and therefore benefit from CE. Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected the cerebral angiograms of 133 consecutive patients with TIA or non-disabling stroke due to large artery disease where ultrasound suggested a stenosis ≧70% or occlusion of symptomatic ICA; we calculated the frequency of intracranial vascular malformations and intracranial artery disease (IAD) located in the infraclinoid or supraclinoid portion of the ICA, and in the anterior or middle cerebral artery. Results: Ultrasound showed 31 ICA occlusions and 102 ICA with 70–99% stenosis. All the patients with an ICA stenosis 70–99% on ultrasound examination had the degree of stenosis confirmed by angiography. Two out of 31 patients did not have a complete occlusion but angiography showed a near-occlusion and consequently they underwent CE. Sixty-five (62.5%) out of 104 patients with patent ICA had IAD (mild 26.9%, moderate 21.2%, and severe 14.4%). Five patients (4.8%) had intracranial vascular malformations (4 aneurysms and 1 arteriovenous malformation). One patient had disabling stroke during angiography. Seven patients (6.7%) did not undergo CE after angiography (1 patient had an aneurysm >10 mm, 1 patient had a very tight stenosis of the basilar artery, 5 patients had intracranial stenosis more severe than the extracranial stenosis). Conclusions: In patients that on the basis of ultrasound examination can benefit from CE, information on intracranial arteries is necessary. Moreover, complete occlusion cannot be detected with certainty only by ultrasound examination.

Intramural location and size of arterial calcification are associated with stenosis at carotid bifurcation

Reduced lung function has been shown to be a significant predictor of non-fatal ischaemic heart disease, and of mortality due to cardiovascular disease. Fewer studies have analysed the relationship between lung function and risk of fatal or non-fatal stroke. The present study presents results on the relation between forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and risk of incident and fatal first-ever stroke. The analyses are based on prospective cohort data from 12 878 eligible men and women aged 45-84 years, who participated in the first health examination of the Copenhagen City Heart Study in 1976-1978. The subjects were followed from day of entry until 31 December 1993. During that period 808 first-ever strokes occurred of which 153 were fatal within 28 days. Risk of incident and fatal stroke was estimated by means of Cox hazard regression. The analyses included adjustment for potential confounders: sex, age, smoking, inhalation, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, physical activity in leisure time, education, diabetes mellitus, and antihypertensive treatment. We found an inverse association between FEV1 and risk of first-time stroke. For each 10% decrease in FEV1 in percentage of expected, the relative risk (RR) increased 1.05 (95% CI : 1.00-1.09, P = 0.03). This represents an approximately 30% higher risk of stroke in the group of people with the lowest lung function as compared to the group with the highest lung function. The association between lung function and risk of fatal stroke resembled that of risk of incident stroke (fatal and non-fatal). The RR was 1.11 (95% CI : 1.03-1.19) for each 10% decrease in FEV1 in percentage of expected. This represents approximately a doubling of the risk between the highest and lowest lung function groups. This study shows that reduced lung function measured in percentage of predicted FEV1 is a predictor of first-time stroke and fatal stroke independent of smoking and inhalation. The high risk of fatal first-ever stroke in the group of people with low lung function may be of significance in both the design and interpretation of clinical trials.

Objective.Evaluation the impact of 3 surgical strategies (simultaneous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA), staged CABG and CEA, and isolated CABG) on the incidence of late stroke and overall mortality in patients with unilateral asymptomatic carotid stenosis referred for CABG.Material and methods.The retrospective study included 290 patients with combined coronary artery disease and unilateral asymptomatic carotid stenosis of 70-99%, who, by decision of a multidisciplinary council, were determined to have indications for CABG in combination with CEA by means of a simultaneous (under conditions of one anesthesia) or 2-stage intervention (CABG was performed at the first stage, then CEA).The patients were divided into groups according to the interventions performed.A separate group included patients with indications for a staged intervention (first CABG, then CEA), however, who underwent only 1 stage of treatment (only CABG was performed, and CEA was not performed).The follow-up period was up to 9 years after the interventions, and the median follow-up was 6.6 years [5.1-9.4].Study endpoints -death from any cause, non-fatal stroke, combined endpoint: death from any cause/non-fatal stroke.Results.CEA among the studied patients did not lead to an improvement in the long-term prognosis.None of the surgical strategies had advantages in terms of reducing overall death, the incidence of stroke or the combined point (death/stroke).At the same time, patients after simultaneous interventions had a worse outcome for combined point (p=0.005),but not for isolated points. Conclusion.The results of the study do not confirm the long-term benefits of any of the surgical strategies (simultaneous CABG and CEA, staged CABG and CEA, and isolated CABG) in terms of reducing the incidence of death, stroke and combined event frequency (death/stroke) in patients with carotid stenosis referred for CABG.Patients after simultaneous CABG and CEA have the worst long-term outcome.

To measure by Doppler sonography the blood flow volume (BFV) of the ipsilateral and contralateral extracranial internal carotid arteries (ICAs) and both vertebral arteries (VAs) before and after a carotid endarterectomy (CEA) of the ICA. We correlated the result with the degree of stenosis of the ICA. One hundred seven patients who had a CEA were divided into 2 groups. Group I consisted of subjects with stenosis of ipsilateral ICA of >or=70% to near occlusion and Group II included subjects with near occlusion. The Doppler sonographic examinations were performed 1 day before the CEA, 7 days after the CEA, and 1 month after the CEA. The peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, time-averaged maximum blood flow velocity, resistance index of the ipsilateral ICA, and the BFV of both ICAs and both VAs were calculated. There was a significant increase in the peak systolic velocity, maximum blood flow velocity, and the BFV of the ipsilateral ICA after the CEA. The BFV of the contralateral ICA and both VAs were not significantly altered after the CEA in both groups. The main CEA hemodynamic effect was an increase in the BFV of the ipsilateral ICA regardless of the degree of stenosis.

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. 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. 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 > or =90% decrease of MCA peak systolic velocity at cross-clamping (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 8.5) and > or =100% 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 > or =70% 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. In CEA, TCD-detected microemboli during dissection and wound closure, > or =90% MCA velocity decrease at cross-clamping, and > or =100% pulsatility index increase at clamp release are associated with operative stroke. In combination with the presence of preoperative cerebral symptoms and > or =70% 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.

The aim was to evaluate the incidence of stroke in the setting of cardiac surgery with or without hemodynamically relevant asymptomatic carotid stenosis contralateral to the occlusion. We designed a historical cohorts study, focused on patients with unilateral totally occluded internal carotid arteries who were referred for any cardiac surgery at our center. Isolated unilateral occlusions were assigned to group 1 (n = 60), and those with a contralateral stenosis grade ≥ 60% were included in group 2 (n = 51). A total of 111 patients operated in our center from 1997 to 2016 were included. Patients in group 2 had an asymptomatic contralateral internal carotid artery stenosis with a mean stenosis grade of 71 ± 20%. Simultaneous carotid endarterectomy (CEA) was performed in 22 patients from group 2. The overall mortality was 8/111 (7.2%). Carotid-associated mortality was not observed, whereas an overall stroke incidence of 8/111 (7.2%) was detected. The group-related outcome showed comparable results for mortality (group 1: 4/60 (6.7%) vs. group 2: 4/51 (7.8%); p = 1.0). Regarding stroke incidence, group 2 had a higher incidence of overall strokes (2/60 (3.3%) vs. 6/51 (11.8%); p = 0.14) with more contralateral (0/60 (0%) vs. 2/51 (3.9%); p = 0.209) and ipsilateral strokes (2/60 (3.3%) vs. 4/51 (7.8%); p = 0.411). Stroke rate peaked in patients with simultaneous carotid and cardiac surgery (n = 22; 18.2%; p = 0.048). Performing simultaneous CEA during cardiac surgery in the presence of a contralateral occlusion may promote stroke. Asymptomatic contralateral carotid stenosis is a risk factor for stroke in patients with carotid occlusion prior to cardiac surgery.

Stroke ranks as the third leading cause of death in the United States. It is now estimated that there are more than 700 000 incident strokes annually and 4.4 million stroke survivors.1 2 The economic burden of stroke was estimated by the American Heart Association to be $51 billion (direct and indirect costs) in 1999.3 Despite the advent of treatment of selected patients with acute ischemic stroke with tissue plasminogen activator and the promise of other experimental therapies, the best approach to reducing the burden of stroke remains prevention.4 5 High-risk or stroke-prone individuals can be identified and targeted for specific interventions.6 This is important because epidemiological data suggest a substantial leveling off of prior declines in stroke-related mortality and a possible increase in stroke incidence.7 8 The Stroke Council of the American Heart Association formed an ad hoc writing group to provide a clear and concise overview of the evidence regarding various established and potential stroke risk factors. The writing group was chosen based on expertise in specific subject areas, and it used literature review, reference to previously published guidelines, and expert opinion to summarize existing evidence and formulate recommendations (Table 1⇓). View this table: Table 1. Levels of Evidence and Grading of Recommendations As given in Tables 2 through 4⇓⇓⇓, risk factors or risk markers for a first stroke were classified according to potential for modification (nonmodifiable, modifiable, or potentially modifiable) and strength of evidence (well documented, less well documented).5 The tables give the estimated prevalence, population attributable risk, relative risk, and risk reduction with treatment for each factor when known. Population attributable risk reflects the proportion of ischemic strokes in the population that can be attributed to a particular risk factor and is given by the formula 100×[prevalence(relative risk−1)/prevalence(relative risk−1)+1]). …

A rational algorithm for duplex scan surveillance after carotid endarterectomy

After nearly 40 years, carotid endarterectomy has been shown to be of benefit to patients with symptomatic carotid territory ischaemia and greater than 70% stenosis of the relevant internal carotid artery. Cerebral angiography is performed before surgery and is not without risk. These risks must be added to those of surgery before recommending the procedure to patients. The study evaluated the local, systemic and neurological complications following digital subtraction angiography with selective catheterisation of the carotid arteries in 200 patients presenting to a cerebrovascular clinic for assessment of cerebral ischaemia. All patients had carotid ultrasound screening before angiography to screen out those with normal arteries or mild disease (less than 30% stenosis of symptomatic internal carotid artery). Complications occurred in 28 patients. There were six (3%) local, two (1%) systemic and 20 (10%) neurological complications. Seventeen neurological complications occurred within 24 hours and there were three late complications (24-72 hours). Neurological complications occurred more frequently when angiography was performed by a trainee rather than a consultant neuroradiologist (p < 0.01). The neurological complications were transient (resolved within 24 hours) in 10/200 (5%), reversible (resolved within seven days) in two (1%) and permanent in 8/200 (4%). Two patients died after a stroke and two other patients suffered a disabling stroke. At 24 hours post angiography the permanent (persisting beyond seven days) neurological complication rate was 2.5%. The incidence of total neurological complications and post angiographic strokes was higher in patients with greater than 90% stenosis of the symptomatic internal carotid artery (p < 0.001). The increased use of non-invasive Doppler duplex screening will reduced the absolute number of patients put at risk of angiography, yet the rate of post angiographic complications is likely to increase as patients with severe stenosis of the symptomatic internal carotid artery are probably most at risk of complications and have most to gain from carotid endarterectomy.

The GALA Trial – A Summary of the Findings