Operations on carotid arteries in an acute stage of ischaemic stroke

Ignatiev I.M.
State Facility «Interregional Clinical and Diagnostic Centre», Course of Cardiovascular Surgery of the Kazan State Medical University,
Kazan, Russia

The present study was aimed at specifying the indications for operations performed on carotid arteries in an acute period of ischaemic stroke and assessing the results thus obtained. Between January 2008 and July 2010, we carried out a total of 372 operations on carotid arteries in three hundred and sixty patients. Of these, thirty-two subjects were operated on in an acute period of stroke. Neurovisualization was performed by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). The condition of the carotid arteries was assessed by means of duplex scanning (DS). The operations performed on the carotid arteries were as follows: thrombembolectomy (n=4), carotid thrombendarterectomy (n 5), carotid endarterectomy (CEAE, n=21), and stent grafting of the internal carotid arteries (1СA, n 2). Five CEAE operations were carried out after thrombolysis. The interventions on the carotid arteries were performed within 6 hours to 12 days from the onset of the first symptoms of ischaemic stroke.

Neurologists were actively engaged in both determining the indications for the operations and monitoring of neurological functions.

There were no perioperative complications encountered. Regression of the neurological deficit during 7 days of in-hospital follow up occurred in sixteen patients (50%) (neurological deficit scoring 1-2 by the Rankin scale). One patient (3%) developed ischaemic stroke on postoperative day 3 after CEAE. Two patients were diagnosed as having transitory ischaemic attacks. Stenting turned out successful in the both patients.

The remote results at terms ranging from 12 months to 2 years were followed up in fifteen patients. Of these, twelve patients (80%) showed complete restoration of neurological functions (Rankin scale scoring 0). Neither lethal outcomes nor relapsing strokes were observed over the follow-up period.

The obtained outcomes strongly suggest certain advantages and advisability of active surgical policy of treating patients presenting in an acute stage of ischaemic stroke, with appropriate observance of the strict indications for the intervention.

KEY WORDS: ischaemic stroke, carotid endarterectomy, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography.

P. 118

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