title: Carotid thromboses in the early postoperative period after carotid endarterectomy.
abstract: The paper analyzes 10 cases of internal carotid artery (ICA) thrombosis, which occurred after 635 carotid endarterectomies (CEA), carried out from January 1997 to July 2004. CEA procedures included 346 (54.5%) open CEAs with PTFE patch angioplasty and 289 (45.5%) eversion CEAs. Patients with thromboses in the reconstructed area (n=10) had the profiles of comorbidities and cerebrovascular insufficiency grade similar to the total CEA group (p>0.1). Differences concerned the higher rate of atrial fibrillation cases (10%), diabetes mellitus (30%) and contralateral ICA occlusions (20%) in the group of thromboses (p>0.1). Among these 10 patients, 5 underwent eversion CEA (1.44% of the total eversion CEA group) and 5 - open CEA with patch angioplasty (1.73%). In 8 patients thromboses manifested as local neurological symptoms in the area supplied by the operated carotid artery. One patient demonstrated the progression of general cerebral symptomatology, while in the tenth patient thrombosis was accompanied with cerebral coma. Urgent ultrasonography in 7 patients failed to detect a blood flow in ICA, that proved the diagnosis of ICA thrombosis; in 3 patients ultrasonography showed a mural thrombosis. Nine patients underwent reoperation in emergency, while for the tenth patient an intervention was contraindicated due to the thrombosis of middle cerebral artery, unstable clinical state (cerebral coma) and progression of neurological symptomatology. PTFE arterial graft was implantedin 7 reoperated patients with ICA thrombosis, thrombectomy from ICA was carried out in 1 patient and in another one patient a thrombectomy from reconstructed segment with PTFE patch angioplasty of the arteriotomy defect was fulfilled. In 3 reoperated patients a complete resolution of neurological symptoms was evident 24 hours after intervention, in 2 patients neurological symptomatology regressed over 2-4 weeks. In another 3 reoperated patients local neurological symptoms persisted; 1 patient demonstrated postoperative progression of neurological symptomatology and coma with fatal outcome. The last patient, for whom a reoperation was contraindicated, died due to aggravation of cerebral coma. Dynamic follow-up in early postoperative period after CEA, especially in the first 6 hours, as well as an urgent duplex scanning of the reconstructed area in case of neurological symptoms development, provides timely diagnosis of postoperative thrombosis and the success of reoperations. Adjustments to patient's cardiac status and appropriate intraoperative heparinization can decrease the risk of this complication. An urgent reoperation aimed at the restoration of carotid blood flow, immediately after the diagnosis of thrombosis (provided the absence of deep coma), promotes a complete or partial regression of neurological symptoms and helps to prevent a progression of cerebrovascular disturbances.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Pokrovskiĭ
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Kuntsevich
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Beloiartsev
authors.forename: I E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Timina
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Kolosov
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002341:Carotid Artery Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color