[Outcomes of open endovascular operations on the internal carotid artery in acute stage of ischaemic stroke]. / Rezul'taty otkrytykh i éndovaskuliarnykh operatsii na vnutrennei sonnoi arterii v ostroi stadii ishemicheskogo insul'ta.

INTRODUCTION: The authors share their experience in diagnosis and treatment of patients with acute ischaemic stroke. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included a total of 33 patients. Of these, 20 patients (Study Group) were operated on at terms ranging from 2 to 7 days after onset of acute cerebral circulatory impairment. The Control Group was composed of 13 patients with ischaemic stroke, having refused surgical prevention of recurrent stroke. Both groups were matched by age, gender, level of neurological deficiency and size of cerebral ischaemic foci. Surgical management in the Study Group consisted in either carotid endarterectomy (n=15) or stenting of the internal carotid artery (n=5). Depending on the severity of coronary artery lesion and the presence of accompanying therapeutic pathology, options of operative treatment with various anaesthesiological support were offered. RESULTS: At discharge, neurological deficit in the Study Group patients was lower - 1.2 points by the NIH Stroke Scale versus 2.7 points in the Control Group, however, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.45). In the Study Group there were two complications: haematoma of the postoperative injury requiring its revision and a transient ischaemic attack during stenting of the internal carotid artery, having disappeared on the operation table after the distal cerebral protection device was removed. Significantly better results were obtained by the following parameters: in the Study Group the number of patients discharged with no neurological deficit (scoring 0 by the NIHSS scale) was significantly higher compared with the Control Group; 50% vs 7.7% (p<0.001). There were no lethal outcomes in either group. One patient (7.7%) from the Study Group developed recurrent ischaemic stroke, whereas neither intra- nor postoperative stroke was registered in the Control Group patients (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In carefully selected patients with ischaemic stroke (neurological deficit not exceeding 3 points by the Rankin scale and not more than 11 points by the NIHSS, with the size of the ischaemic focus not exceeding 4 cm), surgical prevention of recurrent stroke within 7 days after the onset of an ischaemic event may be performed effectively and safely. Early operation effectively prevents relapsing ischaemic events at the in-hospital stage. Besides, reconstruction of brachiocephalic arteries during an acute stage of stroke in operated patients improves the neurological status in the postoperative period, decreases the degree of motor and sensory disorders and makes it possible in half of patients to completely eliminate neurological deficit present at admission.

[Early reconstruction of brachiocephalic arteries as a prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke]. / Ranniaia rekonstruktsiia brakhitsefal'nykh arterii kak profilaktika povtornogo ishemicheskogo insul'ta.

AIM: To assess an efficacy and safety of brachiocephalic arteries reconstruction at the acute stage of stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Early reconstruction of brachiocephalic arteries was made in 7 patients (mean age 67±9 years). Mean terms of brachiocephalic arteries reconstruction after stroke were 4.6 days (range 2-7 days). Pre- and postoperative neurological state was assessed by NIHSS score (mean preoperative score was 3.9±2.7 in these 7 patients, range 0-7). All patients had ipsilateral cerebral ischemic lesions with stenosis/occlusion of brachiocephalic artery. Their mean dimension was 10 mm (range 4-32 mm). Internal carotid artery stenting was made in 2 patients, carotid endarterectomy - in 4 patients, stenting of the 1st segment of left subclavian artery - in 1 patient. RESULTS: There were no deaths and recurrent postoperative ischemic strokes. Complications developed in 2 patients: postoperative hematoma and intraoperative transient ischemic attack during ICA stenting in 5 days after stroke. There was a positive course of neurological state after brachiocephalic arteries reconstruction: mean score of neurological deficit decreased by almost 2 times (from 3.9±2.7 to 2±1.7). CONCLUSION: Early surgical prevention (within 7 days after stroke) may be effective and safe in certain patients with ischemic stroke (neurological deficit by Rankin score ≤3 and NIHSS ≤7, ischemic focus dimension less than 4 cm). Brachiocephalic arteries reconstruction early after stroke improves neurological state postoperatively by reducing motor and sensitive disorders. However, at present time there are no clear indications for early revascularization depending on either neurological deficit severity and ischemic focus dimension. So, our data should be confirmed by large trials.

[Experience in diagnosis and treatment of combined lesions of the extra- and intracranial portions of the internal carotid artery].

The treatment policy concerning patients with lesions of the extra- and intracranial portions of carotid arteries is currently uncertain. The authors share herein their experience in diagnosis and treatment of 5 patients presenting with lesions of the extracranial portions of the internal carotid artery (stenosis/occlusion/pathological tortuosity) combined with arterial aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations of the brain. Of these, two patients were operated on: the first one was primarily subjected to clipping of the cerebral aneurysm then after several months underwent a reconstructive vascular operation on the ipsilateral side (resection of the internal carotid artery with its readdressing). The second patient with subtotal stenosis of the internal carotid artery who initially underwent clipping of the ipsilateral asymptomatic aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery developed occlusion of the internal carotid artery by the second stage of treatment and was not subjected to vascular operation. There were no is-chaemic cerebral complications or lethal outcomes in the operated patients in peri- and post-operative periods at all stages of treatment.