[The strategy of management for bilateral carotid atherosclerotic stenosis].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the indication, time and strategy of surgery for patients with bilateral carotid atherosclerotic stenosis.


METHODS
Seventy-four patients with bilateral carotid atherosclecrotic stenosis were admitted to our hospital from February 1987 to December 2007. In 34 patients who presented with unilateral symptoms and underwent ipsilateral carotid endarterectomy (CEA), contralateral CEA or carotid artery stenting (CAS) was performed in 8 because of severe stenosis (> 70%) or unstable plaque. Thirty-eight patients presented with bilateral symptoms. Among them, 15 underwent CEA on both sides, 3 were performed CEA on one side and CAS on the other side, while 20 underwent unilateral CEA only. In 2 asymptomatic patients, CEA was also performed.


RESULTS
Ninety-three cases of CEA were performed in 74 patients. Sixty-eight patients were uneventful after operation. Neurological deficits deteriorated in 2 patients. Four patients developed cardiac ischemia, cerebral hemorrhage and hoarseness respectively. Sixty-seven patients were followed-up for 4.9 years. No cerebral ischemia relevant to operated carotid artery developed in 63 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
If the indication is obvious, CEA should be performed no matter how contralateral carotid artery is. The strategy of therapy is individual. Whether using shunt depends on intra-operative monitoring.
Zhou
Ding-Biao
DB
Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Chinese People's Libration Army, Beijing 100853, China. hjwkk@sina.com
Xu
Bai-Nan
BN
Yu
Xin-Guang
XG
Bu
Bo
B
Ma
Xiao-Dong
XD
Zhu
Ru-Yuan
RY
Jiang
Jin-Li
JL
Jiang
Yan
Y
Zhu
Ping
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents