Routine ultrasound surveillance after carotid endarterectomy.

Ultrasounds (US) are employed in preoperative carotid disease diagnosis and in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) follow-up. The authors present their experience about postoperative modifications in CEA site with US evaluation with particular interest in restenosis. Clinical and instrumental examinations were performed at intervals 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months following surgery. Follow-up data were available on 189 CEAs. In 58 cases a primary closure was performed, whereas in the other 131 cases, a patch was applied. 15 restenosis (7.9%) were seen during the follow-up control period with 2 cases of haemodynamic restenosis (1%). Good results were recorded with PTFE patch angioplasty (restenosis 4.4%), instead of vein (restenosis 14.2%) and a biosynthetic material called Omniflow (restenosis 9.5%). A vein patch dilatation was encountered in 13 applications (30.9%). In conclusion the routine application of US after carotid endarterectomy allowed us to monitor the evolution of the repair processes and of the stenotic lesions from the very beginning.

Internal carotid pseudo-occlusion: early and late results.

Internal carotid pseudo-occlusion (ICP) is a pathology of difficult diagnostic evaluation and treatment in the group of extracranial carotid diseases. The authors report the results of 24 ICP(S) surgically treated in the last five years. No perioperative death was reported. The neurological morbility rate was as low as 4% (1/24), which is quite a good results for this high-risk pathology. Clinical and instrumental follow-up was performed (at 1-3-6-12-24 months from surgery). Six early asymptomatic thromboses (25%) were observed, and the remaining patients showed patent vessels and no symptoms at all. In conclusion surgical treatment of ICP is often able to prevent cerebral ischaemia, and the high rate of early occlusion should not limit surgical indication.