title: Early and late geometric changes after carotid endarterectomy patch reconstruction.
abstract: This study examines the degree and location of vessel wall geometric changes after carotid endarterectomy-vein patch reconstruction. The external diameters of the proximal common carotid, common carotid bulb, and internal carotid arteries were measured during operation with a caliper after 349 carotid endarterectomies. There were 309 saphenous vein reconstructions, 31 synthetic patch reconstructions, and 9 primary closures. One or more B-mode ultrasound studies with cross-sectional views for common and internal carotid cursor measurements were performed from 3 months to 5 years after operation. The intraoperative-to-postoperative common carotid diameters were unchanged for the three types of reconstructions. The internal carotid diameters increased 20% to 30% for both the vein and synthetic patched arteries. This dilation was present at 3 and 6 months and progressed slightly over 5 years. Wall thickening greater than or equal to 1 mm was present in 62% of the carotid endarterectomies, with concentric stenosis in 3% and eccentric stenosis in 59%. Eccentric stenosis was present at 3 to 6 months, located on the endarterectomized posterior-medial wall of the common and internal carotid arteries, was always less than 50%, and changed very little over 5 years. No aneurysms or internal carotid occlusions were identified. Carotid endarterectomy-vein patch reconstruction results in early, mild, nonaneurysmal dilation of the internal carotid patched segment, frequent mild eccentric restenosis, and rare hemodynamically significant concentric restenosis.
authors.affiliation: Wake Medical Center, Raleigh, North Carolina.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Archie
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004691:Endarterectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D008297:Male; D011182:Postoperative Care; D012008:Recurrence; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014654:Vascular Patency