[Transcranial Doppler sonography in the pre- intra- and post-operative evaluation of 85 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of transcranial Doppler sonography during carotid endarterectomy.


METHODS
Pre-, intra-, and postoperative transcranial Doppler was performed in 85 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy. Intracranial collateral pathways were evaluated preoperatively and continuous monitoring of middle cerebral artery flow velocity was performed during carotid surgery. Transcranial Doppler was repeated in each patient 1 and 7 days thereafter.


RESULTS
Values of residual middle cerebral artery flow velocity during preoperative digital compression of the common carotid artery were significantly correlated (r = 0.56; P < 0.001) with those obtained during cross-clamping. Middle cerebral artery flow velocity was significantly lower during cross-clamping with respect to pre-clamping (P = 0.006), in patients with neurologic symptoms (P = 0.001), EEG alterations (P = 0.001), or defective collateral blood supply through the anterior communicating artery (P = 0.01). Postoperative flow velocity values of the MCA were significantly higher at day-1 examinations (P < 0.0001) with respect to preoperative values, and were no more significantly different at day-7.


CONCLUSIONS
Transcranial Doppler is a useful method to evaluate the risk of cerebral ischemia during carotid endarterectomy cross-clamping, to identify those patients in which shunt insertion is mandatory, and to evaluate the postoperative effect of carotid endarterectomy on cerebral hemodynamics.
Totaro
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R
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di L'Aquila, Italia.
Varroni
A
A
Gizzi
E
E
Marini
C
C
Carolei
A
A
Spartera
C
C
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial
Valutazione pre-, intra- e postoperatoria con Doppler transcranico di 85 pazienti sottoposti ad endarterectomia carotidea.