Image-guided endoscopy: description of technique and potential applications.

Object: Neuroendoscopic approaches to lesions of the central nervous system and spine are limited by the loss of stereoscopic vision and high-fidelity image quality inherent in the operating microscope. Image-guided endoscopy (IGE) and image-guided surgery (IGS) have the potential to overcome these limitations. The goal of this study was to evaluate IGE for its potential applications in neurosurgery.

Neurovascular rescue.

Neurovascular complications of carotid artery stenting (CAS) include intracranial embolism and hemorrhage, carotid dissection, in-stent thrombosis and vasospasm. Management of these crises requires knowledge of the intracranial vascular anatomy and collateral circulation, correct identification of the complication and its clinical implications, and a response plan that is appropriate to the complication and to the skill set of the operator. In this chapter the authors discuss techniques for the avoidance and management of CAS procedural complications.

Risk of persistent cranial nerve injury after carotid endarterectomy.

Object: Cranial nerve injuries, particularly motor nerve injuries, following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can be disabling and therefore patients should be given reliable information about the risks of sustaining such injuries. The reported frequency of cranial nerve injury in the published literature ranges from 3 to 23%, and there have been few series in which patients were routinely examined before and after surgery by a neurologist.

Methods: The authors investigated the risk of cranial nerve injuries in patients who underwent CEA in the European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST), the largest series of patients undergoing CEA in which neurological assessment was performed before and after surgery.