ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Absorbable sutures are not well accepted for reconstruction in high-pressure arterial segments because the suture line might break and aneurysmal changes could develop. This hypothesis was checked in the clinical setting of carotid surgery. METHODS: The morphology of the carotid artery was evaluated by color-coded ultrasound in four groups of patients: group A, 25 patients who underwent standard carotid endarterectomy and patchplasty, including a transverse plication for which absorbable sutures had been used; group B, 10 patients who underwent eversion endarterectomy and reinsertion using absorbable sutures; group C, 15 patients who underwent standard carotid endarterectomy and patchplasty without a transverse placation; group D, 20 patients who suffered from atherosclerotic disease but did not have previous carotid surgery or other carotid pathology. All operations had been performed at least 3 years earlier than the actual examination. RESULTS: Along the internal carotid artery, where an aneurysmal change would have been expected to occur, no differences in absolute size or calculated elliptical cross-sectional vessel area were found. Patients after eversion endarterectomy did not show signs of aneurysmal changes in the area of reinsertion at the carotid bifurcation. CONCLUSIONS: Even in the long-term, for this group of patients, no significant aneurysmal changes of arterial reconstructions in carotid surgery performed with absorbable sutures were observed.
