Timing of carotid surgery after acute stroke

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been proven to reduce the risk of stroke and death in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with carotid occlusive disease. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the USA. Since up to one-third of stroke patients have a stroke secondary to carotid occlusive disease, it is important to offer CEA to this subgroup of patients that meet indications for surgery. Historically, literature has suggested that the optimal timing to perform CEA is approximately 6 weeks after an acute stroke. This was concluded owing to high perioperative morbidity and mortality if CEA was performed too early. However, data are increasingly showing that some patients do benefit from CEA earlier than 6 weeks after an acute stroke. This article discusses mid-20th Century literature and focuses on more recent 21st Century literature discussing the timing of CEA after acute stroke. Although there are data to support delayed CEA, it is reasonable to perform early CEA in select stroke patient populations. Candidates for early CEA should have complete or near resolution of symptoms, small infarcts on imaging and ipsilateral carotid stenosis.     

Time is brain: an update

The ‘6-month’ threshold for treating symptomatic patients is obsolete. There is compelling evidence that the highest-risk period for stroke (after suffering a transient ischemic attack) is the first 2 weeks, especially the first few days, and that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) confers maximal benefit when performed early. Despite well-documented anxieties, there is increasing evidence that CEA can be performed safely within the first 7 days after onset of symptoms, although risks may be higher when performed within 48 h. The role for carotid artery stenting in the hyperacute period remains uncertain. Centers performing carotid artery stenting within 14 days of symptom onset with risks equivalent to CEA should be encouraged to continue and help others to achieve similar outcomes. For the majority, however, CEA will probably remain the safer option. ‘Best medical therapy’ and risk factor modification should be started as soon as a transient ischemic attack is suspected, while the early introduction of dual antiplatelet therapy may reduce recurrent events prior to CEA, without increasing perioperative bleeding complications.     

Carotid revascularization for prevention of stroke: carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been used for the past several decades in patients with carotid occlusive disease. Large randomized controlled trials have documented that CEA is a highly effective stroke preventive among patients with carotid stenosis and recent transient ischemic attack or cerebral infarction. In asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis, clinical trial data suggest that the degree of stroke prevention from CEA is less than among symptomatic patients. However, otherwise healthy men and women with an asymptomatic carotid stenosis of 60% or greater have a lower risk of future cerebral infarction, including disabling cerebral infarction, if treated with CEA compared with those treated with medical management alone. More recently, carotid artery stenting has been performed Increasingly for patients with carotid occlusive disease. As technology has improved, procedural risks have declined and are approaching those reported for CEA. The benefits and durability of CEA compared with carotid artery stenting are still unclear and are being studied in ongoing randomized controlled trials.     

Carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy in the treatment of symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: To evaluate the short-term and intermediate- to long-term efficacy and safety of carotid artery stenting (CAS) compared with carotid endarterectomy (CEA).Materials and Methods: The published literature was electronically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) between CAS and CEA for the treatment of carotid stenosis performed from January 2000 to January 2017. The short-term and intermediate- to long-term outcomes were evaluated.Results: We identified 10 RCTs including 7,183 participants with symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Our meta-analysis found different results between the patients with and those without symptoms. In patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis, the total stroke incidence in the CAS group was significantly higher than that in the CEA group within the 30-day periprocedural period (p<0.001); however, the myocardial infarction incidence in the CAS group was significantly lower than that in the CEA group (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the mortality within 30 days post-procedure, but the intermediate- to long-term incidence of stroke or death in the CAS group was higher than that of the CEA group (p<0.05). In contrast, for asymptomatic patients, there were no significant differences between the CAS and CEA groups in the short- and intermediate- to long-term outcomes.Conclusion: For patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis, CEA is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, whereas CAS is correlated with an increased risk of procedurally related strokes. However, for patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis, no significant difference was found in the efficacy or safety between CAS and CEA.     

Vascular surgery for peripheral arterial disease

The North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) confirmed that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can significantly cut the risk of stroke in patients with moderate and severe blockage. The standard today is that patients who have internal carotid artery stenosis > 70% with associated symptoms and who are appropriate surgical candidates should be offered CEA. Aneurysmal disease, a growing public health concern, poses the threat of death from rupture, and lower extremity arterial occlusive disease poses a significant risk of critical leg ischemia and limb loss. Both conditions involve surgical options. In treating their patients, primary care physicians should become familiar with the benefits and risks of vascular surgery to manage the various aspects of peripheral arterial disease.     

Patient outcomes beyond hospitalization: carotid endarterectomy surgical patient outcomes after a rapid recovery program

Improved surgical techniques for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) surgical patients have resulted in improved postoperative hemodynamic stability of patients and reduced lengths of hospitalization. The purpose of this pilot project was to determine CEA patient outcomes after a rapid recovery hospitalization program. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled in the study and contacted at 1 month after CEA surgery to examine carotid occlusive disease clinical symptoms, functional status, atherosclerotic disease risk-factor reduction, and patient satisfaction. Findings of the pilot study demonstrated that CEA surgical patients were able to resume physical and psychosocial functioning by 1 month after surgery at levels comparable to preoperative functioning. Subjects reported relief of carotid artery occlusive disease symptoms and reported high levels of independent functioning and satisfaction with CEA surgery. Men in the study had significantly higher levels of reported independence in functioning compared with the women, using a "0" to "10" scale to rate level of functioning independence. Findings from the pilot study will be used to develop an early recovery and atherosclerotic disease risk-factor modification program for CEA surgical patients.     

Carotid artery dynamics after carotid angioplasty and stenting

Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) has emerged as an alternative treatment for carotid artery occlusive disease. As initial results in patients with an increased surgical risk appeared promising, the popularity of CAS has increased substantially over the last years and CAS has more often been advocated as an alternative to the gold standard, carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Several controlled trials comparing CAS with CEA are currently being conducted. However, long-term results of CAS are still sparse and several issues regarding the inherent differences between treatment modalities have not yet been elucidated. Interestingly, to date, very little attention has been directed towards the mobile features of the carotid artery and the implications of stent placement on carotid artery dynamics.     

Bilateral spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection with both early and very late recanalization: A case report

Spontaneous bilateral internal carotid artery dissection has frequently been described in the literature as a cause of stroke. In more than half of the patients with internal carotid artery dissection, recanalization occurs early after the event and is unusual later than 6 months after onset of the dissection. We describe a patient with ischemic stroke due to left internal carotid artery occlusion in the extracranial segment. The patient was treated with anticoagulants and early vessel recanalization did not occur. Ten months later, he developed contralateral internal carotid occlusion in the intracranial tract, which was followed by early complete recanalization. Anticoagulation therapy was continued and, 16 months after the initial event, the left internal carotid artery unexpectedly also reopened.     

Characteristic Sonographic Findings of Early Restenosis After Carotid Endarterectomy

Objective. Restenosis of the carotid artery after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a major complication. The frequency, time of occurrence, and tissue characteristics of carotid restenosis were assessed with sonography. Methods. Two hundred sixteen patients who had CEA for carotid stenosis were studied; follow‐up sonography and magnetic resonance angiography were done 2 weeks, 3 months, and then every year after CEA. On sonography, restenosis was defined as an internal carotid artery (ICA) with a peak systolic velocity of 170 cm/s or greater or a maximum area of stenosis of 90% or greater. Results. During 605 artery‐years of follow‐up, 18 patients (7.5%) were found to have restenosis on sonography: 4 at 3 months, 11 at 1 year, and 3 at 2 years after CEA. At the time that restenosis was detected, in all 18 ICAs the peak systolic velocity exceeded 200 cm/s and had more than doubled since the last measurement (mean ± SD, 103 ± 27 to 321 ±107 cm/s), whereas the area of stenosis exceeded 90% in 6 patients, and magnetic resonance angiography revealed stenosis of 60% or greater in 8 patients. On sonography, all of the restenotic plaques were isoechoic and concentric. The restenosis was asymptomatic in 17 patients. Vascular risk factors or the severity of initial carotid stenosis before CEA were not associated with development of restenosis. Eleven patients had successful endovascular therapy, and the others received medical treatment. Conclusions. A marked increase in the flow velocity through an operated ICA is a good indication of restenosis. The isoechogenicity and concentricity of the restenotic plaques suggest that the restenosis is primarily the result of intimal hyperplasia.     

Management of patients with concomitant coronary and carotid artery disease

Introduction: Ideal management of concomitant carotid and coronary artery occlusive disease remains under investigation. Although researchers have advocated the potential benefits of varying treatment strategies based on either concomitant or staged surgical treatment, there is no consensus in treatment guidelines. With emerging data suggesting favorable outcome of carotid artery stenting (CAS) compared to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with critical coronary artery disease, physicians must consider these diverging therapeutic options.

Areas covered: This review presents current evidence regarding the prevalence of carotid stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease, the common pathophysiologic links with an emphasis on the diverse mechanisms of stroke in the coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) setting and discusses the contemporary registries and observational studies comparing outcomes of various revascularization strategies in high-risk patients. Authors conducted a literature search in two bibliographic databases including papers published from 1983 until 2018 (PubMed, Scopus).

Expert opinion: Symptoms should drive the need to intervene on carotid stenosis in patients undergoing coronary revascularization. Carotid artery stenting has gained significant ground, especially among those individuals considered of high surgical risk. PCI may be considered as an alternative option for the management of severe concurrent coronary disease.     

“一站式”冠状动脉搭桥及颈动脉支架植入术的初步尝试

目的:尝试应用冠状动脉搭桥术及颈动脉支架植入术"一站式"治疗冠心病合并严重颈内动脉狭窄。方法:选择复旦大学附属中山医院2例冠心病合并严重颈动脉狭窄的男性患者,给予其"一站式"冠状动脉搭桥术及颈动脉支架植入术,分析相应的围手术期治疗、手术方式及术后相关情况。结果:术后患者心功能改善。术后6个月颈动脉CTA提示支架通畅,患者无晕厥、黑朦症状。结论:"一站式"冠状动脉搭桥术及颈动脉支架植入术对冠心病合并颈动脉狭窄患者是较好的选择,但需要在杂交手术室进行,且对术者技术要求较高。     

颈动脉狭窄引起短暂性脑缺血的外科治疗

目的 探讨颈动脉内膜剥脱术的适应证及围手术期处理。方法 回顾性总结11例因短暂性脑缺血(TIA)伴有颈动脉硬化狭窄患而行颈动脉内膜剥脱术(CEA)的临床资料。结果 除1例术后第二天发生脑梗塞死亡外，其余患TIA表现消失，4例慢性脑缺血症状也得到明显的改善。术后未出现偏瘫或脑出血等严重的并发症。结论 对于TIA病人，经多普勒超声或动脉血管造影(DSA)或磁共振血管造影(MRA)检查发现一侧或双侧颈总动脉或颈内动脉狭窄大于50％，可以考虑行颈动脉内膜剥脱术。对于双侧颈动脉狭窄，分期手术治疗较为安全。做好围手术期处理。有助于减少手术并发症。     

Should statins be given routinely before carotid endarterectomy?

Statins belong to a class of drugs known to inhibit 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase, and block hepatic cholesterol synthesis. Statins have been found to be highly effective in primary and secondary stroke prevention among medically managed patients with cardiovascular disease, and it appears that this benefit is largely owing to the non-cholesterol-lowering, so called pleiotropic, effects of statins. Over the past decade, agents such as beta-blockers, aspirin, or other antiplatelet medications have proven to reduce the incidence of adverse postoperative outcomes among vascular surgical patients and have rightfully assumed a place in our overall therapeutic armamentarium. There is growing evidence that statins may be especially effective in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and improving outcome following major vascular surgery. A recent study from Johns Hopkins Hospital demonstrated a threefold reduction in the rate of perioperative stroke (P < .05) and fivefold reduction of perioperative mortality (P < .05) among 1566 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA). This benefit was confirmed in a series of 3360 CEAs performed at multiple hospitals throughout western Canada. Statin use was independently associated with a 75% reduction (OR: 0.25; 95%CI: 0.07-0.90) in the odds of death and a 45% reduction (OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.32-0.95) in the odds of ischemic stroke or death among patients with symptomatic carotid disease. A number of the pleiotropic effects of statin medications may be responsible for these clinical observations. Further work is necessary to better elucidate these mechanisms, as well as to determine the optimal agents, dosing, and timing of drug administration among patients undergoing carotid interventions. Nevertheless, in light of these data a strong case can be made to start patients on statin medications prior to CEA if time permits.     

颈动脉内膜剥脱术治疗颈动脉狭窄的临床研究

[目的]探讨颈动脉内膜剥脱术治疗颈动脉狭窄的指证与手术技巧.[方法]回顾分析在2007年6月至2009年5月期间20例颈动脉狭窄患者行颈动脉内膜剥脱术并随访的相关资料.[结果]手术均成功,颈动脉内膜剥脱术1例术后第2天出现脑梗死,3例出现局部淤血,其余未出现明显神经功能障碍.术后平均随访15个月,未有一过性脑卒中或脑梗死发生.[结论]颈动脉内膜剥脱术治疗颈动脉狭窄是安全可靠的,但需要严格掌握手术指证并由技术娴熟的专科医师操作,手术的疗效才能得到保证.     

颈动脉狭窄患者颈动脉内膜剥脱术前后血流动力学的改变

目的观察颈动脉狭窄患者实施颈动脉内膜剥脱术手术前后血流动力学改变的规律，为临床护理提供依据。方法对实施颈动脉内膜剥脱术的患者，于术前7d、3d、1d每日晨和术后1周进行血流动力学的监测，对术前、术后血流动力学指标进行统计学分析。结果患者自身术前SBP、DBP、MBP对比，患者术后SBP、DBP、MBP对比，手术前后心率、手术前后呼吸分别进行对比，P均〉0．05，无统计学意义；手术前后SBP、DBP、MBP对比、手术前后心律对比，P均〈0．01，有统计学意义；并且手术后71．0％的患者SBP、DBP、MBP呈现升高趋势，38．7％的患者术后出现心律不规则，心律变化由大变小逐渐趋于正常。结论颈动脉狭窄患者手术后血流动力学变化明显，手术后应注重血流动力学的监测，以预防并发症的发生。     

Comparison of Carotid Artery Stenting and Carotid Endarterectomy in Patients with Symptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Single Center Study

Introduction

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is believed to be an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA); however, recent studies have demonstrated an increase of complications with stenting that does not reflect our experience. We thus wanted to compare the periprocedural and 1-year follow-up outcomes of CAS with those of CEA among patients with symptomatic extracranial carotid stenosis in a population from eastern Turkey.

Methods

The hospital records of all patients who underwent carotid artery revascularization were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the type of carotid revascularization performed, namely CEA or CAS. Comparisons were made with respect to 30-day and 1-year outcomes of transient ischemic attack (TIA), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all-cause death rates. Composite endpoints for both groups were also analyzed.

Results

Thirty-two CEA and 33 CAS procedures were performed for symptomatic occlusive carotid disease. Baseline characteristics were similar between both groups except for the incidence of diabetes mellitus. No significant differences were found with respect to 30-day mortality, MI, and neurologic morbidity endpoints for CEA and CAS procedures. In the postprocedural 1-year follow-up, only TIA was observed to be significantly higher in the CAS group; the other endpoints did not differ significantly. One-year composite endpoints did not differ between both groups (log-rank P = 0.300).

Conclusion

In our trial of patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis, no significant difference could be shown in periprocedural outcomes, postprocedural outcomes except TIA, and in composite endpoints between the CEA and CAS groups. CAS is a safe and efficacious alternative for the treatment of symptomatic carotid artery stenosis.     

支架植入与内膜剥脱治疗颈动脉狭窄的疗效与安全性评价

背景：大型随机试验已证明颈动脉内膜剥脱或支架植入治疗有症状和无症状颅外颈动脉狭窄是有效的。目的：用Meta分析方法评价颈动脉支架植入和颈动脉内膜剥脱治疗颈动脉狭窄的疗效及安全性。方法：计算机检索国内外数据库中关于颈动脉支架植入和颈动脉内膜剥脱治疗颈动脉狭窄的相关随机对照试验,按照纳入排除标准进行文献筛选和质量评价后,采用Cochrane协作网提供RevMan 5.0软件进行Meta分析。结果与结论：共纳入14个研究7 693例患者,其中支架植入组3 835例,颈动脉内膜剥脱组3 858例。支架植入组术后30 d脑卒中事件发生率、术后30 d死亡与脑卒中事件发生率、术后1年心肌梗死事件发生率及术后30 d非致残性脑卒中事件发生率高于颈动脉内膜剥脱组（P≤0.000 1）,术后30 d心肌梗死事件发生率低于颈动脉内膜剥脱组（P=0.001 0）。两组术后30 d死亡事件发生率及致残性脑卒中事件发生率差异无显著性意义。两种治疗模式是互补而不是对立的,应该综合分析每例患者的病情,对治疗方案进行优化选择。     

滤网保护下颈动脉支架成形术107例

目的回顾性分析采用滤网保护下颈动脉支架成形术治疗。方法所有病例均使用滤网做为脑保护装置,全身肝素化下置入自膨支架治疗颈动脉分叉部狭窄,88例（829％）采用预扩,6例（5．6％）采用后扩,13例（12．1％）未行球囊预／后扩。结果90例患者共置入107枚支架,手术成功率100％。术后造影显示支架形态良好。18例（17．1％）患者术后3个月,采用颈动脉彩超复查,未发现病变血管再狭窄。结论滤网保护下颈动脉支架置入结合球囊预扩治疗粥样硬化斑块所致的颈动脉分叉部狭窄近期疗效满意。     

颈动脉内膜剥脱术对脑缺血症状的改善作用

目的:观察颈动脉内膜剥脱术(CEA)对脑缺血症状的改善作用。方法:缺血性脑血管病患者16例,均实施CEA手术,颈丛麻醉,行颈动脉夹闭试验,决定是否用转流管维持脑部供血,剥离颈动脉斑块。结果:16例患者CEA术后脑缺血症状显著改善,且未出现一例围手术期内的脑卒中和死亡事件,随访也未出现卒中事件。结论:本文研究进一步证实CEA手术十分安全,在预防卒中以及改善各种脑缺血症状的治疗中具有重要意义。     

颈动脉粥样硬化与进展性卒中的相关因素研究

目的探讨颈动脉粥样硬化与进展性卒中之间的相互关系。方法对 1 0 3例发病 2 4h内连续住院的脑梗死患者在住院 1周内行颈动脉超声检查。对颈动脉内中膜厚度 (IMT)、斑块情况及管腔狭窄与脑梗死早期进展之间的关系进行单因素及Lo gistic回归分析。 结果进展性脑卒中患者颈动脉斑块发生率、IMT显著高于非进展性脑卒中患者。Logistic回归分析显示 ,颈动脉斑块为脑梗死早期进展的危险因素 ,最大斑块的长度与厚度、颈动脉狭窄程度及IMT与卒中进展无明显关系。结论粥样斑块的结构与理化特性可能是引起脑梗死早期进展的原因。