Neurological monitoring during carotid artery stenting: the Duck Squeezing Test.

Purpose: To examine the usefulness of a novel method for neurological monitoring during carotid artery stenting (CAS).

Methods: The records of patients who underwent elective CAS between June 1996 and October 1998 were reviewed to identify those who had neurological changes during the procedure. We examined whether the neurological change had been detected by a change in the ability of the patient to respond to predetermined commands involving a small rubber duck placed in the contralateral hand.

Elective stenting of symptomatic basilar artery stenosis.

Background And Purpose: Percutaneous angioplasty of the intracranial arteries still carries the risk of dissection, with acute closure and embolization. Stenting has been shown to improve the safety and durability of angioplasty in every circulatory bed in which it has been applied. However, stenting of the intracranial arteries has been limited by the availability of stents that can be reliably deployed intracranially.

Endovascular therapy of traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulas.

Traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCF) are capable of causing a large variety of signs and symptoms, including visual loss, glaucoma, chemosis, exophthalmos, and orbital cranial nerve palsies. The high pressure in the veins that normally drain the globe can cause them to engorge and produce local compression of adjacent structures. At present, endovascular closure of the fistula is the treatment of choice, particularly in patients with progressive neurologic deterioration.

Neuroendovascular rescue. Nonthrombolytic approach to acute brain ischemia.

The field of neuroendovascular therapy is rapidly growing. New technology and operators' expertise is developing at a pace that will make this discipline progressively more available and successful. For the intensive care of patients who have acute brain ischemia, new techniques of recanalizing occluded arteries are progressively being introduced.