Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the surgical excision of the atherosclerotic plaque
in patients with severe carotid artery stenosis. It is a common surgical technique
required by neurosurgeons that should be mastered. In this article, we provide an
outline of the technique and multimodality adjuncts involved in performing an effective
CEA with a better surgical outcome. Materials and Methods: We have operated a total of 14 patients in our institute from 2015 to 2018. The male
to female ratio is 13:1. Four (28.5%) patients were symptomatic and 10 (71.5%) were
asymptomatic; with an average percentage of carotid stenosis being 81.2% in symptomatic
and 76.6% in asymptomatic patients. Two patients have undergone bilateral CEA. Intraoperative
monitoring was done with continuous in vivo optical spectroscopy (INVOS). Furui's
double balloon shunt system was used to maintain blood flow from common carotid artery
to the internal carotid artery, thus preventing cerebral ischemia in selected cases
with significantly lateralized cerebral oximetry (CO) recordings. Results: Of the 14 patients with 16 CEA procedures, continuous INVOS monitoring was used in
12 CEA procedures. Of the 12 cases, only 5 (41.6%) needed a shunt. Furui's shunt was
not used in 7 (58.3%) CEA procedures, where there were no changes in the intraoperative
CO and these patients had an uneventful postoperative period. INVOS monitoring not
only reduced the use of routine intraoperative shunt but also reduced the total surgical
time and thus aided in preventing neurological complications. Conclusion: CEA should be strongly considered for symptomatic patients with >70% of carotid stenosis
and in patients with 50%–69% stenosis if no other etiological basis for the ischemic
symptoms can be identified. Continuous INVOS monitoring is mandatory for the decision
of the use of intraoperative shunt, which reduces the perioperative morbidity and
mortality significantly.
Key-words:
Dual-image videoangiography - endarterectomy - in vivo optical spectroscopy - intraoperative
shunt